One of the owners of the Hyde & Seek Childcare crèche chain in Dublin is to step aside, after a documentary revealed concerns over standards of care in the company.

Anne Davy will also take no future role in frontline childcare provision.

It follows an RTÉ Investigates documentary, which saw two undercover researchers successfully apply for childcare positions with the company.

The documentary will report how recently RTÉ Investigates was contacted by several families, who were concerned about the standards of care their children had received while at various Hyde & Seek Childcare crèches.

Both researchers had the required qualifications, were highly trained and Garda vetted by RTÉ.

The broadcaster also worked with two care experts, who advised them at all points on the evidence gathered by the researchers.

The company has four crèches across Dublin city, catering for children from three months up to 12 years of age.

Image: RTÉ Investigates

Crèches and preschool facilities must abide by a lengthy list of regulations, which have been designed to protect the welfare of children.

The documentary will report that while RTÉ witnessed some examples of good care, the undercover workers started to observe repeated breaches of regulation.

There were also concerns around sleep room conditions - for example at the company’s crèche on Tolka Road, where cots were packed too tightly together to allow staff to provide appropriate care for children at nap times.

In a statement to Newstalk.com, Hyde & Seek Childcare said it has been operating creches for over 15 years and strive to provide a top-quality child-centered service.

However the firm acknowledged that the programme "has raised real issues which we need to address."

It added: "We have already addressed some: For example we have recently changed the layout of our cot rooms at our Tolka Road and Shaw Street creches, and last week we had unannounced visits by Dublin City Council fire officers to each of those premises and those inspectors said there were no fire safety issues requiring immediate action."

Image: RTÉ Investigates

The company has confirmed that Anne Davy, one of the owners of the company that runs the crèche group, is stepping aside.

While she remains as a director of the company, she will not be working with children.

The crèche group added: "We are going to restructure our management, a process which will include the appointment of a new manager at Tolka Road.

"We operate an open door policy and parents are free to visit our creches at any time.

"We are in ongoing contact with parents of children who use the services... and expect to meet many of them in the coming days."

'RTÉ Investigates - Creches, Behind Closed Doors' will be broadcast on RTÉ One tonight at 9.35pm.