Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children Brian Lenihan today welcomed the Health Service Executive (HSE) decision to make inspection reports on crèche and other childcare facilities more readily available to parents.
Speaking on RTÉ radio today Mr Lenihan said the inspections were "very valuable" in bringing problem issues to light.
"It is a matter of concern that breaches were widespread but on the other hand we have a robust inspection process in place that will secure greater compliance with regulations," he said.
"Ultimately of course if there are persistent breaches of regulations, prosecutions will take place, fines will be imposed and there is always the option of closing down the premises," he added.
The Minister said regulations needed to be strengthened and that new regulations would be introduced in a "matter of weeks." He said the new regulations would make particular reference to pre-school education.
The HSE plans to allow parents to access standardised pre-school inspection reports following the release of hundreds of crèche reports under Freedom of Information legislation.
The majority of childcare facilities in Dublin and surrounding areas were found to be in breach of pre-school regulations after being visited by HSE inspectors, reports released to The Irish Timeshave revealed.
Among the issues highlighted are dirty or unsanitary premises, unsafe storage of hazardous materials, inadequate fire procedures, a lack of staff training in child protection and children being left with insufficient supervision or unsuitable play activities.
Other areas of concern to inspectors were overcrowding, unhealthy food, a lack of staff records or lists of persons authorised to collect children and unsafe fixtures and fittings.
Green Party spokesperson on childcare Dan Boyle said higher standards in crèche childcare can only be achieved by more resources being made available by the Government and the relevant State Authorities.
"The proposal to give parents access to crèche reports is a welcome one, but it should also be accompanied by the necessary additional investment. It would be better for the Government to be more consistent in funding practices than to have agencies such as the HSE and its inspectors discover that all is not what it should be in our crèches," he said.
Fine Gael childcare spokeman David Stanton called for the reports to be made available to parents as a matter of urgency. "What is even more alarming is that we know that there is an unregulated childcare sector which is not open to inspection and which parents have to take on trust," he said.
"It is essential that the safety of children is paramount in all childcare facilities and parents must know that their child is safe, secure and happy. Publication of crèche reports is a beginning but a lot more need to be done," he added.