The Happy Ever After childcare centre, which supports 97 children, will stop operations on October 31st this year, leaving families scrambling for alternative childcare and 19 staff members facing unemployment

Alexandre Pallares, 27, pleaded guilty at a sitting of Naas Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of assault causing harm to the baby boy

A verdict of death by misadventure was returned into the death of Lauren Boland

The little girl, who is now six years old, the High Court heard, has been left with a visible scar on her left cheek following the incident.

Cork South West and Dublin South West were the least well provisioned constituencies with 2.2 children per creche place.