Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 January 2023
719. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will review procedures for Garda vetting of special needs assistants in order that their vetting status can move with them from school to school, as in the case of teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63767/22]
View answerFollowing the commencement of the National Vetting Bureau [ Children and Vulnerable Persons ] Act of 2012 by the then Minister for Justice and Equality on the 29 April 2016 (other than section 20 ) my Department issued Circular 31/2016 to all school Authorities and Education Training Boards advising of the statutory obligations placed on school authorities to obtain a vetting disclosure from the Bureau prior to the employment, contract, permission or placement of a person to undertake relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable persons
The Vetting Act provides that vetting is conducted by the National Vetting Bureau on foot of an application by a relevant organisation that is registered with it. The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice.
The Vetting Act also provides that a relevant organisation must, other than in certain limited circumstances, obtain a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau prior to commencing the employment of an employee to undertake relevant work with children or vulnerable adults.
The relevant diocesan office or school management body continues to act as a conduit for schools for the purposes of Garda vetting of persons other than registered teachers who are employed, contracted, permitted or placed to undertake relevant work or activities by the school and in the case of ETB schools, the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such purposes
The Department of Justice has established an inter-departmental group to undertake a review of Garda vetting arrangements and legislation. The group will make recommendations for amending legislation and strengthening the Garda vetting process and the feasibility of the introduction of a centralised system for vetting SNA's can be considered as part of this work.
