Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 43 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda central vetting unit comprises a Garda inspector, two Garda sergeants, a staff officer, eight clerical officers and three temporarily assigned clerical officers. The unit carries out criminal record vetting in respect of, among other things, prospective full-time employees of the Health Service Executive and certain agencies funded by the executive, as well as prospective child care workers on the equal opportunities child care schemes funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The unit deals with approximately 100,000 vetting applications per annum.

The phased extension of the vetting arrangements to relevant sectors and groups involving substantial, unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults is about to take place. A working group has been established to examine the practical issues relating to the extension of the vetting arrangements. The group's final report, which was submitted in March 2004, has been published in electronic form on the Department's website.

On the basis of the report, I announced that the vetting unit would be given additional staff resources to enable the Garda's vetting services to be extended. The process of increasing the unit's original staffing complement of 13 to 30 has begun. My announcement implemented one of the working group's key recommendations. Other practical recommendations are being implemented by an implementation group chaired by the Garda Síochána and comprising representatives of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Health and Children, Education and Science and Finance and the Office of the Attorney General. The chief executive of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Mr. Paul Gilligan, is also a member of the implementation group.

The extension of the Garda central vetting unit's services will commence later this year as soon as the necessary practical arrangements are in place. These arrangements include those pertaining to the decentralisation of the unit to Thurles, County Tipperary, as part of the Government's decentralisation programme. The unit will be given new and modern office accommodation that is tailor-made for its needs. The phased expansion of vetting services will commence when the unit has been established in its decentralised location. Public announcements in this regard will be made in due course.

Irrespective of whatever additional arrangements that might be introduced in the future, vetting checks are not the only way to ensure the suitability of applicants for certain posts. There will continue to be a particular onus of care on employers to maintain good employment practice during the recruitment stage and in ensuring adequate supervision arrangements thereafter.

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