Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
522. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that have made multiple Garda vetting applications for different organisations in 2015, 2016 and to date in 2017. [46325/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda Authorities that the Garda National Vetting Bureau does not keep statistics in respect of the number of individuals that have made multiple Garda vetting applications for different organisations.
The Deputy will appreciate that the primary purpose of the employment vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is to seek to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults and it is carried out by An Garda Síochána primarily in accordance with the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016.
In this context vetting checks are conducted by the Vetting Bureau for each new application received to ensure that the most recent data available is taken into account. This is because once there has been any significant lapse of time between one employment and another, the original vetting disclosure must be reviewed to take account of any changes in information, such as more recent criminal convictions. Furthermore, the Data Protection Acts require that any sensitive personal data which employers use in regard to their employees must be current, accurate and up-to-date. Importantly, the general non-transferability and contemporaneous nature of the current process also helps to protect against the risk of fraud or forgery in the process.
The Deputy will wish to know that the Act provides for the sharing of vetting disclosures in certain circumstances by registered organisations, a facility which is of assistance in the health and education sectors, for example, in reducing the need for multiple vetting applications.
