Seventeen childcare facilities face the possibility of remaining closed tomorrow because of pending renewals or registrations, with the majority of issues linked to garda vetting, reports RTE.
Early years services are required to renew their registration with Tusla’s inspectorate every three years for the purposes of inspection and regulation, reports RTE.
According to the child and family agency, services are not permitted to keep operating unless they complete this renewal process.
Tusla announced in a statement that it has set up a helpline today, open from 10am to 4pm, which can be reached at 061 440616 or via email at [email protected], reports RTE.
The Federation of Early Childhood Providers has revealed that some crèches have already received formal letters from Tusla directing them to shut down until their registration is fully completed.
The federation is now urging authorities to introduce a grace period so that services can finalise their registration without immediate closure.
They warn that shutting down crèches would affect hundreds of parents and children throughout the country, reports RTE.
Chairperson of the federation Elaine Dunne said a meeting should be arranged to ensure this does not happen again.
“An emergency meeting between Tusla and the provider representatives across the country must take place to ensure that this disruption to providers, families and staff does not happen again.”
“It’s an unnecessary stress to providers,” Ms Dunne added, reports RTE.
Tusla has confirmed that more than 3,200 early years services successfully renewed their registration by the 31 December 2025 deadline.
The agency stated it is continuing to work over the weekend to support providers in submitting the necessary documents so they can be registered before tomorrow and reduce any potential disruption to services, reports RTE.
This marks the first occasion on which Tusla has assumed responsibility for garda vetting in relation to childcare service providers.
Tusla has emphasised that there was comprehensive communication with service providers regarding the new procedure.
It also stressed that there have been no delays whatsoever on Tusla’s side, reports RTE.
One preschool owner in Co Cork, Sinead, said she received a letter on Wednesday informing her that she cannot open tomorrow due to incomplete registration.
But she said she was very organised and had her documents in from the beginning of September.
She said there were some issues with her ID and proof of address for the garda vetting process, but she said that was all rectified by 23 December which was before the deadline, reports RTE.
She said she has been in childcare for 20 years and never had any issues with garda vetting.
Another owner from Co Meath, who has been working in childcare for 23 years, also received a letter stating she cannot open from Monday, reports RTE.
She said she had all the required documents submitted before the 31 December deadline.
She had initially been delayed due to ID issues, but said that was rectified by mid-December, reports RTE.
She has two current garda vetting certificates for other organisations.
She said: “I have never had a problem I have been vetted since 2002 since college and never had a problem until this issue arose,” reports RTE.
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