Links Crèche has apologised in the High Court to two childcare workers who were suspended following an undercover television documentary three years ago.
Sandra Kavanagh, Brookwood Glen, Artane, Dublin, and Lisa Craddock of Hawthorn Park, Forrest Park, Swords, Co Dublin had sued the crèche and its owner for defamation over a statement it issued to the media after the broadcast of the RTÉ Investigations Unit report 'A Breach of Trust' which aired in May 2013.
They settled their action for defamation today against the owner Deirdre Kelly and The Links Crèche and Montessori Ltd.
An apology read in court on behalf of the crèche acknowledged their suspension and dismissal was unfair.
It said: "We now unreservedly acknowledge that both Sandra Kavanagh and Lisa Craddock were hardworking and dedicated employees and diligently carried out their duties as members of the childcare profession."
The defendants, it added, "fully appreciate the profound damage" inflicted on both plaintiffs "for which we unreservedly apologise".
"It is now our earnest wish to redress this damage so that both Sandra Kavanagh and Lisa Craddock's reputations are restored to good standing."
The statement concluded with a reiteration of the apology and a statement "appropriate redress" had been made to both plaintiffs.
The apology said the defendants, "arising from footage shown to us and parents, and represented by it as footage to be shown in this RTÉ Primetime Investigates programme 'Breach of Trust', and which was subsequently broadcast in an edited form nationally on RTÉ television on the 28th May 2013, had caused a statement to be published in the national media".
That statement had said: "We hold the standard of professional care of children in all our crèches as a high priority, so I was extremely upset by what I saw.
"The behaviour of some staff members as revealed by the video extracts was wholly inappropriate, inexcusable and unacceptable.
"We have, as a result, put in place immediate disciplinary action resulting in the dismissal of one staff member and the suspension of three others pending a full investigation."
That statement also said it was "most regrettable that the undercover reporter did not bring to the immediate attention of senior staff and management the behaviour of the child care workers concerned. Otherwise, I can assure you, it would have been dealt with appropriately."
It continued: "In a statement last night, Links Childcare reiterated that it had been 'extremely upset at the poor performance by some staff members in our Abington, Malahide, crèche. We firmly believe that this incident is isolated to specific staff in our centre in Abington and does not reflect the overall standard of care given to all children by our employees in Links Childcare'."
In their apology, the defendants said they accepted what they caused to be published clearly identified Ms Kavanagh and Ms Craddock as being among those responsible for the behaviour set out in the statement.
The apology added they had suspended and dismissed both women "and these actions on our part were unfair".
The judge received and filed the terms of settlement and, on consent of the sides, adjourned the matter for final orders to November.
