Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2006
299 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the situation that prevails when a person seeks Garda clearance for employment purposes; the system that operates for members of the public who need Garda clearance to take up employment; the average processing time for Garda clearance to be obtained; his plans to improve this system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7243/06]
Amharc ar fhreagra300 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the situation that prevails when a member of the public seeks Garda clearance for personal reference purposes; the step-by-step procedure that needs to be followed; the average waiting time for processing these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7244/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 300 together.
The Garda central vetting unit, GCVU, was established in 2002 and currently processes vetting requests in respect of, inter alia, prospective full-time employees of the Health Service Executive and certain agencies funded by the Health Service Executive as well as in respect of selected employments in other sectors. The unit currently deals with approximately 150,000 requests per annum and the average processing time for an application is currently approximately four weeks. A vetting application may be made only by the recruiting organisation and not by the prospective employee. Similarly, the product of the vetting process is disclosed only to the recruiting organisation.
In 2004 an interagency working group on Garda vetting reported with a clear and focused strategy for enhancing national vetting arrangements. This strategy provides for an expansion of the GCVU's vetting service to all organisations that recruit persons having substantial unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults. The implementation of the strategy is being overseen by key stakeholders in an implementation group on Garda vetting. Preparations are at an advanced stage for the extension of vetting services and, to facilitate this, an additional 17 staff have been provided to the GCVU to more than double its numbers from 13 to 30.
There are no plans to make the vetting services of the GCVU available to the generality of employments or employees or for personal reference purposes. However, pursuant to the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2003, individuals may apply to the GCVU for disclosure of their personal data. Such applications must be made in writing and should be accompanied by two forms of identification and a cheque or postal order for the fee payable of €6.35. Disclosures of this nature should not be construed as a Garda vetting, Garda clearance, character check, character reference or any cognate construct of same.
For certain categories of person dealing with non-national authorities the Garda Síochána provides a record of criminal convictions in the form of a police certificate. These may be obtained in respect of applicants seeking non-national visas, including those seeking non-national residence, to establish or register businesses in other member states of the European Union and non-national consular services, including those seeking non-national adoptions. Applications for police certificates may be made to the Garda superintendent in charge of the Garda district where the applicant normally resides or where the applicant normally resided in respect of persons now living abroad.
