Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 November 2016
274. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total amount of the child care budget for 2016 that is used to fund Garda vetting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36682/16]
View answer275. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total amount of the child care budget for 2016 that is used to fund Garda vetting that is open to the entire child care sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36683/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 275 together.
The Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 require a registered pre-school service provider to ensure that each employee is suitable and competent by consideration of the vetting disclosure received from the National Vetting Bureau. This requirement is no different to the requirement contained in the 2006 Pre-School Regulations which the 2016 Regulations replaced. Staff working in early years services have always needed to be vetted prior to being employed. The difference now is that the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, introduced by the Minister for Justice and Equality and commenced on 29 April this year, provides that early years services (amongst other relevant organisations) cannot employ any person to carry out any work or activity, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children, unless the service has received a vetting disclosure from the Bureau in respect of that person.
Two organisations are funded by this Department to process vetting applications on behalf of the early years sector. These organisations are Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos. The Department understands that both organisations have been under considerable pressure during the last month due to the seasonal increase in applications.
A total of €233,000 is provided by my Department to Barnardos (€133,000 pa) and Early Childhood Ireland (€100,000 pa) to provide Garda Vetting services to childcare providers.
In light of the increased volume of work undertaken by these agencies as a result of the expansion of the ECCE programme, I have agreed to provide some additional funding to these organisations for the purposes of providing Garda Vetting Services to childcare practitioners and I expect this to be drawn down over the coming months.
