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children's chairs via Shutterstock

Some creches waiting FIVE years between inspections

“It’s just not good enough,” says Early Childhood Ireland.

“INSPECTION IS GOOD for everyone.” That is the verdict from a body dedicated to safeguarding children’s development in their early years.

Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) was responding to this week’s report from Tusla, the child and family agency, which found there had been just one inspector operating per 21,052 children in the Dublin and northeast area of the country.

While Tusla claims that such shortcomings have been addressed, Early Childhood Ireland – whose members comprise both parents and policymakers as well as childcare sector professionals – said it was concerned that there are not “regular and consistent inspections across the country” of childcare and young children’s educational facilities.

It said:

Some of our members are waiting five years in between inspections, which is just not good enough.

While it welcomed a new recruitment phase for inspectors next month, it said that it needed assurance that all inspectors are also qualified in early childhood care and education.

Consistent inspection makes it easier to tackle “small breaches” within a few days, and prevent a situation from escalating, it said.

Parents who were worried by the Tusla report or can’t find an inspection report for a facility where their children are to attend should visit the place themselves and speak to a manager, ECI recommends.

There are two leaflets available for parents to download in the run-up to ‘back to school’ week – one for pre-schoolers, and one for ‘big school’-going children.

Is one inspector for 21,000 kids good enough?>

Opinion: I’m already worried about how I’ll pay for my children to go back to school>

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    Mute John Moloney
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    Apr 20th 2022, 12:33 PM

    Would we clean up our own shop first. Deal with our own homeless and poverty first and then worry about the world.

    105
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    Mute ismiseleo
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    Apr 20th 2022, 12:57 PM

    @John Moloney: we have plenty of opportunities to study for free through springboard.ie

    20
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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Apr 20th 2022, 11:27 AM

    Good to hear this. I spoke to several Ukrainians last week who were college students at home and would like to study here but didn’t know how to go about it. Hopefully there are similar information sessions in different parts of the country as the refugees are well spread out.

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    Mute Patricia O'Brien
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    Apr 20th 2022, 1:28 PM

    @Gerry McCaughey: don’t suppose by any chance you’ve had time to ask them where they will be accomodated while they take up thos great opportunity? Because my kids going to college can’t get accomodation?

    102
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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Apr 20th 2022, 4:07 PM

    @Patricia O’Brien: one of the girls I spoke to was being accommodated by the family of her Irish friend who have been so good to her. I saw videos she took on her phone that make what we saw in Bucha seem mild. The rest were all being housed in a hotel in the town I was working in that day which I won’t name. All I’m sure would rather be in their home country worrying about boys and grades than worrying about which of the family members they had to leave behind they might not see again. Puts a perspective on things, don’t you think?

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    Mute Patricia O'Brien
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    Apr 20th 2022, 4:48 PM

    @Gerry McCaughey: I wont apologose for being pissed off with the housing or accomodation situation in this country, there are families who have been in hotels and b and bs for years, silently waiting for housing, constantly overlooked, with kids who have NO chance of going to college, so spare me the smug comments, pity u don’t have the same compassion for those people… but then it’s fashionable to get involved in ukraines war but not so fashionable to be concerned about whats been going on on your own door step.

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