Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The difference between the two working groups was that the first set out recommendations, and the second is deciding how to implement them. It is very much an action group, being chaired by the Garda Síochána, and has representatives of the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science and Finance, as well as the Office of the Attorney General and the chief executive officer of the ISPCC. It is targeted at implementation.

The decision was taken on the recommendation of the working group to go ahead with doubling the numbers of staff employed by the vetting unit. That was a very practical way of ensuring that people could get the clearance. That will occur from mid-November and will offer a service to children and other vulnerable groups. Like the Deputy, I was appalled at what happened in Laois, where it was reported a convicted sex offender operated as a school bus driver. We understand that the private contractor changed the driver on the service without informing Bus Éireann, something that it is required to do under the terms of its contract. Bus Éireann immediately rectified the situation. Not only was the driver immediately withdrawn from the service, but the contract with the firm concerned was also terminated. The action taken proves that the children's safety is the priority.

The legislation regarding a register was always designed to be implemented on a cross-Border basis so that it would cover the entire island, owing to the movement of people from one jurisdiction to another. This is the way it should progress because that hiatus remains in our cross-Border working arrangements.

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