Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for accepting this matter on the Adjournment and the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, for being present to take it.

A serious issue if not immediately resolved will result in Elphin Day Care Centre, County Roscommon, having to close its day-care service for the elderly. The centre depends on four members of staff provided through the FÁS community employment scheme. There has been a significant turnover in staff over the past two years as they have either successfully obtained regular employment arising from their time at the centre, come to the end of their eligibility for a community employment scheme placement or have availed of maternity leave.

Persons offered work at the centre are not permitted by FÁS to take up their placements until their vetting process has been completed. Notwithstanding the absolute necessity of having a proper Garda clearance process and the need to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of that process, it seems incredible that the widely recognised delays in the system have still not been resolved by FÁS and the Garda Síochána. In the past, the centre struggled when the employment of new staff was delayed by six months because of the length of time taken to process Garda clearance. This has even happened with individuals who have always lived in the local community. Last November, the centre interviewed a young person who had never lived elsewhere but had to wait until May 2010 for her clearance. In another case, an individual already had Garda clearance from previous employment but it took a considerable time for the clearance to issue this time.

The management of the day care centre held interviews for three new members of staff on 12 June 2010 but is still waiting to hear from the Garda if the candidates have been given the required clearance. Two of these candidates will fill vacancies that the centre has struggled to cover over several months while the third will fill a maternity leave vacancy arising in the next two weeks. The centre, run by a voluntary committee, cannot afford to pay three staff on an ongoing basis. If these three staff are not in place in the next few weeks, the centre will have to reduce services available or close the day-care facility. This would result in the loss of the drop-in facility, cooked lunches and meals on wheels. Those affected will also include several elderly people who began to use the centre when the Plunkett Home facility in Boyle, run by the Health Service Executive, was forced to close last March due to government cutbacks.

While this is a significant issue facing the people of Elphin, it is replicated across the country. Such vital services are replacing State-run services or filling a vacuum due to the lack of State-run services for older people. Community and voluntary services, such as the Elphin one, are struggling to fill vacancies because of the delays in the vetting process, however. They should not be forced into possible closure due to the delays in processing Garda clearance requests. While I want the Minister to expedite this specific case, I hope he will ensure it will not be replicated elsewhere.

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