Dublin Creche Under Investigation Following Allegations of Mistreatment
A Dublin creche, Once Upon a Time, is under Garda investigation following allegations of mistreatment of children, including claims a worker dragged a young girl “like a rag doll.” The allegations came to light after a staff member utilized the creche’s internal whistleblowing process and requested a review of CCTV footage.
Parents of children attending the creche were informed of the situation. Father david Quinn stated he and his wife, Anne Marie Quinn, were alerted to concerns regarding their daughter, Isla. Mr. Quinn described feeling “anger, fear, sadness” and “a lot of guilt,” questioning if an earlier intervention coudl have prevented the incident. He noted Isla is unable to communicate what occurred.The couple have provided a statement to Gardaí.
According to Ms. Quinn, the CCTV footage showed a worker pinning Isla’s legs down and squeezing them.Consequently, the couple have withdrawn Isla from the creche and are currently unable to secure option childcare, with Ms.Quinn stepping back from her employment after recently returning from maternity leave.
Another father, wishing to remain anonymous, stated he was informed by the creche on September 1st that his child was among those affected, but he had not received “a clear explanation of what happened on the day in question.”
In a statement, Once Upon a Time said all dialog with parents has been conducted under the direction of An Garda Síochána. The company declined to comment further,citing the ongoing garda investigation and a desire not to prejudice it.
The creche, operated by codirectors Anne Marie and david mccormack, operates multiple nursery and Montessori schools across Dublin. Their statement highlighted that the staff member who raised the concerns was “fully Garda-vetted” and had verified written references. The company also stated that other staff members were offered counselling following the incident.
Once Upon a Time stated they have implemented additional safeguarding measures, including on-site retraining, evening workshops, specialist sessions, and strengthened staff supervision protocols, despite already being fully compliant with existing policies and procedures. “The welfare of children is and always will be our absolute priority,” the statement read.
A Tusla inspection report indicated the facility had high levels of compliance regarding child safety and staffing levels. A Tusla spokesperson confirmed their early-years inspectorate responded to an internal alert and followed all documented regulation processes.
Gardaí confirmed they are “carrying out inquiries” into the matter but declined to provide further comment due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.
