Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan. While I appreciate the concerns the Deputy brings with regard to the volunteers on whose behalf she speaks, and while I understand what the Deputy is saying, the example given is the person who has years of experience in volunteer work. Am I correct in hearing that even as we move towards having a system for the safety of young people and children of which Garda vetting is part that we should just suspend the vetting requirement for people who have been in the field for a while? I do not believe that is what the Deputy is saying, but I appreciate the additional burden it may require. I also hear the number of other issues raised by the Deputy. There have been meetings with my Department and with smaller organisations to try to take account of the concerns of some of the volunteers. I understand that there is another meeting of these organisations on 12 November. I will ask them to pay attention to the issues raised by the Deputy and to ensure they are taken into account in that meeting in moving forward.

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