By Andrew Carey
CLARIFICATION of a report submitted on behalf of a Limerick creche is being sought by the Health Service Executive (HSE) after the creche owner admitted to breaches of the childcare ‘safe sleep’ regulations earlier this year.
Fiona Doheny pleaded guilty last week to four breaches of the regulations when HSE childcare creche inspectors visited her facility last February.
Ti na Leanai in Ballysimon is owned and run by Ms Doheny and on the date in question she had three times the allowed quota of children registered at the creche which is in a converted garage at her home.
Three children were absent on the date but Ms Doheny had 12 children present in the creche. Ti na Leanai is a registered childcare facility suitable and permitted to care for five children. The inspectors also noted that children were asleep on a bean bag, in a high chair and sleep monitors were not turned on.
Prior to sentencing, Judge O’Kelly was given a 30 page report commissioned by Ms Doheny.
However when the case was back before the courts this Monday, Muris Gavin, prosecution for the HSE said that there were a number of concerns regarding the contents of the report.
Mr Gavin told Judge O’Kelly that he wrote to Ms Doheny’s legal team and asked that they be clarified and addressed at the next sitting.
The matter was adjourned until October 7 next for mention and for the defence to indicate whether or not they would be calling into evidence the doctor responsible for carrying out the report.
