Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In effect, the Deputy is suggesting what is close to a re-registration process. The amendment proposes that the chief bureau officer conduct an assessment of every one of the 18,000 organisations already registered. If they are registered and compliant with the provisions of the Bill, there is no purpose in such an act. We must ensure there can be a seamless transition from what is a non-statutory body to a statutory body without creating an enormous backlog. To ask that the chief bureau officer reassess organisations that have already been registered and deemed compliant by virtue of the information furnished to the bureau means it would take many months to complete the reassessment of 18,000 organisations that are already properly functioning under what I describe as non-statutory vetting procedures. There is no practical prospect of dealing with it that way. We must ensure we do not extend what is currently a six- to eight-week delay in processing vetting applications. We want to bring that back to two or three weeks from the application.

We could turn it into a four to five month delay because I do not have an unlimited number of staff to do the work. One could not expect the chief vetting bureau officer, on his or her own, to reassess 18,000 organisations. The figure has built up over a considerable number of years and covers the work done by the bureau at present. An organisation is required to register because it will undertake certain functions relating to children or vulnerable adults. Having registered, it is obliged to have new employees vetted. It is only when an application to vet is made and something arises that grabs the attention of the individual dealing with the application at the bureau that it becomes apparent if its falls outside the ambit of the legislation. Nothing could be achieved by the amendment. Frankly, the human rights commission was wrong to suggest it was necessary to table such an amendment. The amendment would also be completely impractical in the context of current resource issues and the need to ensure that when the legislation is being operated, the focus will be on using the powers granted by it - in terms of using hard and soft information - and ensuring when vetting is undertaken, it is done with reasonable speed and care.