Concern has also been expressed over the prospect of installing CCTV cameras in childcare facilities.
The aftermath from the documentary
RTÉ Investigates: Crèches, Behind Closed Doors, dealing with the Hyde & Seek childcare scandal, continues to be felt.
Early Childhood Ireland has called for action after Tusla's Director of Quality Assurance Brian Lee told an Oireachtas Committee on Children this week that the agency has identified 37 service providers as being at a "critical level of risk".
ECI's Director of Policy and Advocacy Frances Byrne spoke on
RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Thursday, saying, "that figure did surprise us, only because we're not aware of it".
"What we saw in the horrific and deeply distressing footage [on RTÉ] is a one-off horrible situation, but now we're left wondering if there are 37 more examples like that. We don't have the information," Byrne added.
She also responded to Tusla's claim that they do not have the legal right to simply shut down a crèche if it does not reach acceptable standards, believing that their powers need to be increased.
However, there were also concerns expressed about installing CCTV cameras in crèches, with Byrne saying: "What what we're trying to achieve through the delivery of quality care and education is centred around trust. Relationships are key to that, and it doesn't bode well for trust.
"We don't have CCTV in school classrooms. That said, I can understand how parents are feeling."
Previously,
Hyde & Seek released a statement in response to the documentary, saying: "We dispute some of the detail of what has been reported. But this is not to dispute the overall point, which is that we have work to do to ensure we offer the highest standards of care."
