Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 May 2014
656. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to Garda vetting for the purposes of clearance of those working with children and so on, the reason for the delays in processing the vetting applications; her views on whether this is a major barrier to persons seeking employment or career advancement which obviously impacts on their capacity to earn a living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22359/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that vetting procedures in this country are in place to protect children and vulnerable adults. As such they demand rigorous procedures to ensure their integrity and to maintain the highest level of confidence by the public and organisations availing of them.
Any vetting process will take a certain minimum amount of time to complete. In that regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average processing time for applications is approximately 4 weeks from date of receipt. This is a considerable improvement on last year when processing times had reached 14 weeks. I should also point out that the number of vetting applications received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) each year has risen from 187,864 in 2007 to 381,082 by the end of 2013. In the circumstances, and while acknowledging that improvements can always be made, I am of the view that the current processing time is within acceptable limits in the context of the delivery of an effective service.
Garda Vetting applications are processed on a first-come, first serve basis in chronological order from date of receipt. This is with a view to observing equity and fairness in respect of all vetting subjects. A full vetting check is conducted for each new application received to ensure that the most recent data available is taken into account. Of course processing times will fluctuate upwards and downwards depending on seasonal demands and volumes received and, in some cases, depending on whether further enquiries have to be conducted with external Garda Stations or other agencies such as the Courts Service, Probation Service, HSE, etc. These enquiries are conducted for a multiplicity of reasons such as verification of identity, updating of incomplete records, and establishing outcomes of investigations.
In the context of improving the service, the Deputy may wish to note that there are now 174 whole-time equivalent staff assigned to the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU), an 87% increase on the staffing level at the end of December 2012 when 93 staff were assigned to the GCVU. The development of an e-Vetting solution is also under way and this will facilitate the processing of applications in an e-format, thus removing the current time-consuming process of managing applications received manually. Internal workshops in relation to testing and process development began in 2014 and are ongoing. It is envisaged that there will be further engagement and testing with external organisations prior to full roll-out and implementation. It is anticipated that E-vetting will streamline the entire vetting process and greatly contribute to reducing processing times for vetting applications.
