Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting the issue and acknowledge the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley.

I will not repeat what Deputy O'Mahony has said, but this has come to light in my office as well in the recent past. There is a sense of frustration that constituents are being delayed unnecessarily, particularly on the conditions that have changed for the Department of Social Protection on involvement in community employment schemes. It is no exaggeration to state that some community employment schemes in my constituency are at the brink of collapsing because of the delays due to Garda vetting.

I would be the first person to say that Garda vetting needs to take place, particularly for vulnerable adults and children, but the system needs to be reformed and modernised. For example, once one is vetted by the Garda and one does not change profession or change one's place of employment, one is never vetted again. Something could happen in the interim and it does not appear anywhere.

One simple measure could be taken. At some point, everybody in this country will be issued with a biometric card and it has come to the stage where we need to have people's PPS numbers linked to either the Courts Service or another agency that can ensure the system of Garda vetting is a living and ongoing process, and that as something happens, one does not wait for a person to lose his or her job and having to go through the same rigmarole, taking another eight weeks. Also, potential employers, with the consent of the person, should be able to access a website securely to see the Garda vetting status of the individual.

The process takes far too long. We can channel as many staff into it as we want, but the concept of the system needs to be looked at as well. Unless the system is living and unless it is constantly changing and evolving with information being fed in from the Courts Service, the Garda and others, we will continue to experience these problems.

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