RTE to broadcast childcare investigation tonight

Giraffe Creche in Stepaside

Links Childcare in Malahide, Dublin.

thumbnail: Giraffe Creche in Stepaside
thumbnail: Links Childcare in Malahide, Dublin.
Paul Melia

RTE will broadcast its expose into alleged poor quality of childcare in crèches this evening.

The station said its investigative unit’s report, ‘A Breach of Trust’ will be broadcast on RTE One at 9.35pm.

The documentary explores issues relating to standards in childcare in Ireland, and is presented by reporter Oonagh Smyth.

The programme raises concerns about overall standards of childcare in Ireland, based on evidence gathered from HSE Inspection reports, internal HSE documentation and undercover filming in three crèches, the station said.

“The programme demonstrates that standards of childcare in three crèches (the Links crèche in Abington, Giraffe crèche in Belarmine, Stepaside, and Little Harvard in Rathnew, Co. Wicklow) were in breach of HSE regulations and childcare guidelines,” it said in a statement.

“The programme finds various degrees of mistreatment of young children in specific rooms of the crèches, involving inadequate care and serious breaches of child care regulations.”

Childcare experts are also interviewed, and the documentary will be followed at 10.35pm by a live studio and audience discussion on Prime Time, presented by Claire Byrne.

The report will not be rebroadcast or repeated after tonight, and will not be available on the RTE Player.