Creating a childcare sector where employees are required to hold full-recognised qualifications could result in a professional monopoly and increase childcare costs, Minister for Children Brian Lenihan said yesterday.
While accepting that more trained personnel were required, he said there must be caution around the creation of a "professional" closed shop. This would increase childcare costs.
Mr Lenihan's comments followed the release of 300 inspection reports yesterday by the Health Service Executive (HSE) which detailed children being left unsupervised, failures to maintain the adult-to-child ratio and inadequate facilities.
In one instance a staff member was sacked after a child's hands were taped behind its back and the child made to stand in a corner. Other reports told of a staff worker being sacked for slapping and verbally abusing children, and of instances where a child was left alone in a public place after a creche outing.
Responding to the release of the reports under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Lenihan said in each instance the creche owners had responded appropriately. He cited examples of staff being removed and litigation.
Since similar reports were published by The Irish Times last week, Mr Lenihan said he had met with the HSE to discuss plans to make inspection reports available to parents within the next year. The "robust" system of creche inspections would be strengthened in coming weeks.
Yesterday, the National Children's Nurseries Association called for a system of registration for all creche owners. Spokeswoman Martina Murphy said: "The good story never makes the news, and a lot of our members would feel aggrieved by that."