Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
381 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on the delay in potential employees obtaining Garda clearance to enable them to take up employment with various agencies dealing with children and young persons; the length of time it takes to receive such clearance; and the way in which he intends to resolve this matter. [28634/04]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average turnaround time for Garda vetting is three weeks, although the vetting of persons who have lived in the United Kingdom may take longer, as inquiries would have to be carried out in that jurisdiction. I do not accept that this timeframe constitutes an undue delay. A working group established to examine the expansion and enhancement of the vetting services of the Garda Síochána submitted its final report to both the Garda Commissioner and me in March 2004. On the basis of this report, the Minister of State with special responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, recently announced the provision of additional staff resources for the Garda central vetting unit to enable the Garda Síochána's vetting services to be extended to all persons working with children and vulnerable adults. The Minister of State's announcement implements one of the key recommendations of the working group. The other practical recommendations are being brought forward by an implementation group chaired by the Garda Síochána and comprising representatives of my Department; the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science, and Finance; the Office of the Attorney General; and Mr. Paul Gilligan, CEO of the ISPCC. The enhanced arrangements will be available as soon as the necessary practical arrangements are in place.
