The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for a large number of organisations in Ireland registered with the Gardaí for this purpose and which employ persons in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or training capacity to positions where they would have substantial, unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults.
I should clarify for the Deputy that it is not the role of the Garda Síochána in the employment vetting process to give clearance to persons for employment. Rather, in response to a written request for vetting, the GCVU releases the factual criminal history information in respect of the person concerned to the prospective recruiting organisation. These applications are made by recruiting organisations with the consent of the person involved in respect of a particular post or employment. Decisions on the suitability for the recruitment/engagement of the person concerned rest at all times, as they rightly should, with the recruiting organisation. I have sought further information from the Deputy with regard to the individual to whom he refers and when that information is to hand it will be possible to seek an update from the Garda authorities on the application in question.