Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I agree that many efficiencies could be introduced into the system. I am trying to urge those efficiencies at present. For instance, if people are vetted to train a hurling team, why can they not rely on that vetting when they come to coach a soccer team a year later? We need to ensure that those sensible efficiencies are permissible in the system.

I know there are issues in respect of wet signatures for vetting. There is an issue in that the Garda does not accept digital signatures for national vetting. I am trying to engage with the Garda on that issue. The Garda thinks that the use of digital signatures adds risk to the vetting process such that it becomes susceptible to disputes regarding the signatory's identity or intent, or whether the document was tampered with after signing. If anything goes wrong, the Garda will be responsible if it vetted somebody who turns out to be a threat. I can understand from its perspective the caution with which it is approaching the issue. However, it is a matter I want advanced.

See this speech in context