DISGRACED Anne Davy dramatically resigned as a director of her childcare firm — on the day we quizzed her about her links to the launch of a new creche.
The Irish Sun on Sunday can today reveal Hyde & Seek Tolka Road creche in Dublin — which featured on RTE Investigates in 2019 — has been renamed and is opening again for business.
Davy was recently spared jail despite being secretly filmed “roughly” handling a toddler to get them to go to sleep at her Hyde & Seek branch at Tolka Road.
The 66-year-old, who was convicted of breaching three childcare regulations, was instead fined €4,000 after pleading guilty at Dublin District Court.
The prosecution dropped 19 other counts, including charges against Mrs Davy’s daughter Siobhan and the Hyde & Seek group itself.
CONTROVERSIAL CRECHE RENAMED
Today, the Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal the controversial Tolka Road creche has recently been renamed Tolka Tots and is due to open for business at the same site.
Company records show that Tolka Tots is owned by Hyde & Seek Childcare Ltd.
That firm has been owned and run for years by the Davy family — Anne, her husband Peter and their daughter Siobhan.
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Local parents raised questions with the Irish Sun on Sunday about Mrs Davy’s links to the latest family-run venture.
This week, we approached Anne Davy for comment about the opening of the new creche.
We asked her to outline what role she will have at the new creche, Tolka Tots.
Our reporter also asked her to comment on the outcome of the District Court case — which concluded that she breached three childcare regulations.
QUESTIONS IGNORED
And we asked Mrs Davy if she would like to apologise to the parents furious about the treatment of their children — but she ignored all our questions.
We informed her husband Peter we were running a story about the launch of the new creche and questions from local parents following the TV expose.
Asked if Anne Davy was involved in the new creche Tolka Tots, Peter replied: “No.”
When our reporter pointed out Anne Davy was still listed as a director of the childcare company, Peter said: “I’m not going to say anymore, OK.”
Asked if there was anything they would like to say, he said: “No.”
Tolka Tots refused to respond to our queries.
But on the day we quizzed Mrs Davy, we can reveal the long-time creche owner resigned as director and secretary of Hyde & Seek Childcare Ltd.
The family-run firm notified the Companies Registration Office of her resignation by electric form on Thursday — the day our reporter called to her home.
While Mrs Davy and Tolka Tots failed to reply to further questions, Tolka Tots is now advertising for business. Our photos show a poster which has recently been erected at the creche at Tolka Road, with the firm also uploading a series of promo posts online.
Tolka Tots said on Facebook: “We here at Tolka Tots are so excited to open up in the next few weeks.
‘SAFE ENVIRONMENT’
“We are finally delighted to announce our book is now open for enquiries! We cater for children aged six months and up. If you wish to enquire please call us. We can’t wait to start this amazing journey. Childcare is our passion.”
In the Facebook posts, Tolka Tots said: “We will provide a safe environment for all children to explore, learn and develop.
“Our aim is to provide the above to the highest of standards.”
The relaunch of the Tolka Road creche comes after Mrs Davy was fined €4,000 for three breaches of childcare legislation, including roughly handling a child while putting him down for a nap.
RTE UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION
Davy disrespectfully handled the young boy, aged under two, at her Tolka Road facility on May 8, 2019.
The RTÉ Investigates team had gone undercover to look at standards of care in the family-run pre-school, which operates several premises in Dublin.
In 2019, the Minister for Children brought a prosecution with 22 charges, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the proceedings.
Earlier this month, Davy entered guilty pleas to three offences. The prosecution dropped all charges against her daughter Siobhan Davy and the Hyde & Seek crèche group.
INADEQUATE SPACE
Anne Davy admitted to engaging in a practice that was disrespectful at her Tolka Road crèche on May 8, 2019, contrary to section 19.3 of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016.
Davy also admitted having inadequate space per child ratios at the Shaw Street branch.
The court heard that 46 children were there on September 11, 2018, and 35 on July 19, 2019. However, the creche was only sanctioned for 32 children.
Tusla manager Julie Nohilly, who was overseeing childcare inspections, agreed with the prosecution that RTÉ Investigates decided to go undercover at the Hyde & Seek Tolka Road branch in April and May 2019.
Judge Anthony Halpin heard that an undercover reporter with childcare qualifications used a hidden camera on her shirt to record.
‘HARMFUL TO THE WELFARE OF A CHILD’
Davy was filmed as staff tried to settle children to sleep, and she assisted them with an 18-month-old toddler, referred to in court as Child-A. It was Ms Nohilly’s opinion of the video evidence that Davy “roughly handles the child in trying to settle him to sleep”.
Asked by Judge Halpin to place the incident on a one to ten scale in terms of severity, the Tusla manager said, “Nine to ten, for me,” adding, “It is harmful to the welfare of a child”.
The offences carried a possible one-year sentence and or a maximum €5,000 fine, said Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting.
Mrs Davy’s solicitor gave an undertaking on her behalf to never work in frontline childcare again.
Pleading for leniency, Mr Staines said his client had been vilified in the media, on social media and “even a Government Minister got involved in criticising her”.
‘HUGE AMOUNT OF ABUSE’
She was reported to gardai and “suffered a huge amount of abuse from people out on the street”.
The solicitor said it was so bad she moved home and retired from a job she loved.
The court heard that she was fined €1,200 in 2005 for failing to provide adequate supervision.
However, the judge held it came under the spent convictions legislation, and therefore treated her as a defendant with no prior convictions.
Judge Halpin remarked that it was saddening if children were harshly dealt with, but he thought the Tusla witness’s severity assessment was harsh.
FINE FOR DISRESPECTFUL HANDLING
He said he would have placed it mid-scale at five. He noted Mrs Davy’s guilty plea, the media attention and abuse she had received.
He fined her €4,000 for the disrespectful handling of the young child and the remaining two charges were taken into consideration.
In response to the conviction, Tusla, said the prosecution was “welcome” and “demonstrated clear accountability”.
Last year, it was reported that defamation proceedings were issued by Hyde & Seek Ltd, Hyde & Seek Glasnevin Ltd and by Siobhan, Anne and Peter Davy against RTE over their documentary.
Anne Davy was fined €1,200 in the Dublin District Court in 2005 for failing to provide adequate safeguards and supervision for a child during an outing to a public park playground near her creche at Tolka Road.
