The owners of a disgraced creche faced down their critics yesterday as they met with concerned parents.
Siobhan Davy and her mother Anne had not been seen in public since the family-run creche chain was exposed in a TV sting for alleged breaches of regulations.
Siobhan met with parents behind-closed-doors but refused to answer questions when our reporter asked if she had anything to say to other parents affected at the Hyde & Seek creche at Tolka Road in north Dublin.
Anne is also believed to have met briefly with parents at the facility as angry protesters maintained a vocal presence outside.
Sporting large black sunglasses and wearing a leopard print top she appeared to be seen smirking as she left the premises.
Anne Davy ignored questions when asked if she would like to apologise to parents or say something to them.
The protesters held placards outside the building which had remained padlocked since the RTE undercover investigation aired on Wednesday night.
Anne, owner of the Hyde & Seek chain of Dublin creches along with her husband Peter and daughter, stepped down as a result of the findings just hours before the programme aired.
The Prime Time show appeared to show children being handled roughly and babies being restrained for long periods in a bid to make them sleep.
Undercover reporters exposed a series of issues including crowded sleeping facilities, insufficient staff to child ratios and a lack of Garda vetting.
Gardai, with the support of Tusla, will open an investigation into the standard at the creches following the expose.
Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone described the treatment as “appalling” while Tusla’s Brian Lee said he would “use the full rigour of the law” to investigate.
Yesterday protester Sorcha Finnegan, a mother of three, called for the chain to be closed down.
She said: “As parents we can’t tolerate it. Tusla needs to up their game and carry out more spot checks on places where children are being cared for. We want it changed. We want new laws so it doesn’t happen again.”
Another protester Marian Bradley, 65, added: “The HSE can close down a dirty kitchen like that and yet Tusla can’t go in there.”
Meanwhile, a former Hyde & Seek employee yesterday described what it is like to work for the “nasty and intimidating” mother and daughter.
The ex-staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “Anne was intimidating. She would find a problem with something even if there wereno problems.
“Anne and Siobhan separate were OK but together they were nasty.”
