Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to co-introduce this Bill with my comrades, Deputies Daly and Paul Donnelly. The purpose of the Bill is to keep the practice of vetting as effective as possible while making the process as efficient as possible for the community, the gardaí and, through them, wider society. It applies to people who have no criminal record or criminal issues outstanding. While Garda vetting is essential it can be burdensome, especially for volunteers. I have met them and been the person who has to go through it several times. We have a proud tradition of volunteerism in Ireland and it greatly enhances our communities.

We propose a register of generalised consents, where a person can apply to be added to the list instead of having to make multiple applications. It is a nightmare trying to remember if it was May or June when you moved from whatever house. This will keep the system at the security level necessary to protect society and make the process quicker and easier. With this Bill we can make it easier for volunteers to make their extraordinary contribution to our communities.

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