Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
70 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science if vetting procedures for primary and secondary schools for teachers and all other staff will be placed on a statutory basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30469/04]
View answer274 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps being taken to facilitate the introduction of a system of vetting for teachers and other staff at schools from January 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30792/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 274 together.
The central vetting unit run by the Garda Síochána is responsible for vetting requests regarding prospective employees of designated agencies who would have substantial unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults. The designated agencies comprise over 900 organisations. In the education sector, vetting is available in respect of prospective employees of children detention schools as well as special needs assistants and bus escorts to children with special needs.
A cross-governmental working group was established to put forward proposals for reform of vetting by the central vetting unit run by the Garda Síochána. In particular, it was to consider the need to expand the number of agencies which could access the vetting process, to include, among others, schools and voluntary organisations. That group has now submitted its report to my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who has appointed an implementation committee to give effect to the group's recommendations. Among its findings the working group recommended that legislation be brought forward to ensure the maintenance of a national criminal records system within the Garda Síochána, the disclosure of not just hard facts but also softer information, and access to information about — and proof of — criminal convictions for the purposes of litigation.
The Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has announced a major increase in the resources to be provided to the Garda vetting unit to improve the level of vetting available to employers who employ people to work with children and vulnerable adults. The initiative includes the more than doubling of staff resources for the unit to enable the Garda Síochána's vetting services to be extended to all persons working with children and vulnerable adults.
In the context of non-Garda vetting, relating to employment history rather than criminal records, the working group also recommended that the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children explore the possibility of developing an employment history register, similar to the PECS system in Northern Ireland. In fact, the North-South Ministerial Council made a similar recommendation following a report of a joint working group on child protection established by it and composed of officials from my Department and the Department of Education, Northern Ireland. Work on a discussion document is at an advanced stage and its finalisation and related legislation to establish a statutory register of employment history will involve continuing co-operation and co-ordination between the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children and Education and Science.
The Teaching Council, whose establishment is now imminent, also has a role here. The council will provide the teaching profession, both primary and post-primary, with the means to self-regulate and its functions will include maintaining a register of teachers and if necessary removing the names of those shown to be unfit to teach, including those unfit to teach by reason of the fact that they pose a threat to children.
