Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)

In the past several days my office has been inundated with calls from employees of the Garda vetting unit at Thurles, County Tipperary, who have been informed they will be laid off prior to Christmas. This is particularly galling when they are also aware of the recruitment of up to 16 interns from the JobBridge scheme who are due to take up positions in the unit in January.

These clerical officers were employed on temporary contracts, which were continually extended up until now, to tackle the huge backlog of applications in the unit. Many of them have been working in the unit for several months, even years in some cases. Through processing applications with personal and sensitive information, they have proved their professionalism, loyalty, discretion and experience at all times for the Garda vetting unit. The staff and management of the unit are doing an exemplary job under difficult circumstances on which I commend them. This unit is a relatively new one and since its inception it has been burdened with limited accommodation and a staggering workload. Yet despite these difficulties, and due entirely to the diligence of staff and management, they have succeeded in reducing the backlog in recent months from a waiting time of 16 weeks to just four weeks and will be down to the target of two weeks prior to Christmas.

This work ethic should be treasured yet these employees are being pushed aside as the backlog has now been brought under control. Their Christmas bonus is an unemployment notice with ten people losing their jobs prior to the Christmas break.

What will be the impact of these job losses on the vetting unit? The delay in processing Garda clearance certificates has in the past caused huge difficulty for people hoping to commence work or for people hoping to study certain college courses. The Minister for Justice and Equality promised a national vetting bureau Bill which will contain proposals to extend the remit of Garda vetting requirements to include a greater number of organisations. More robust measures to ensure the protection of children and the vulnerable in our society will be most welcome. The impact, however, these lay-offs will have on the unit must be properly examined and assessed. They will adversely affect the waiting times for the processing of an application for vetting, given the huge increase in the unit's workload which will come about as a result of this new legislation which will broaden the scope of the vetting unit, placing a huge additional demand on its service.

The issue relating to the use of interns raises questions about the JobBridge scheme. The coincidence of offering internships to displace current job holders is a despicable way to manoeuvre a scheme and manipulate people. The workers to be displaced are angry and disillusioned. They rightfully feel aggrieved and consider they have been replaced for a cheaper alternative.

Answers must be given as to why there is a need for interns when others are losing their jobs. It is highly questionable that experienced, fully trained staff will be laid off while inexperienced interns are taken on. It is illogical, inefficient and wasteful to let go someone on contract work who is fully trained on the intricacies of the system and to replace them with someone who has no training in this field.

Will the Minister acknowledge this decision is not cost effective, is not in the best interests of the system and is extremely unfair and unjust to the workers in question? I call on him to reverse the decision and to renew the existing staff contracts.

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