John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Deputy Shatter.

The Minister is aware that apparent delays in the processing of vetting applications causes anxiety for those awaiting vetting certificates so that they can take up employment positions or voluntary roles. Both the Garda central vetting unit in Thurles and the Minister are acutely aware of the need to minimise the turn-around time for vetting applications. At a time when people are keen to get back into the workforce we must ensure that the vetting process does not interfere with this.

For the sake of clarity and to put the matter in context, I would like to outline the purpose of the vetting process. The Garda central vetting unit provides employment vetting for approximately 20,000 organisations in Ireland which are registered with the Garda for this purpose. These are organisations which employ persons working in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or training capacity with children and-or vulnerable adults. The primary purpose of the process is the protection of children and vulnerable adults. This is the paramount consideration. The number of vetting applications received up to September 2012 is 212,558, with an expected outturn for the year of 350,000. The number of applications dealt with during the past few years have increased, from 218,404 in 2008 to 315,100 in 2011. Garda vetting disclosures are made to registered organisations following the signed authorisation by a vetting subject permitting the Garda central vetting unit to disclose to the registered organisation details of all prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed and-or convictions which may be recorded in respect of him or her in the State or elsewhere. Alternatively, the disclosure will state that there are no prosecutions or convictions recorded in respect of the person.

The function of the Garda central vetting unit is to make disclosure, in accordance with a written authorisation from the vetting subject, to the registered organisation. Decisions on the suitability of the person concerned rests at all times with the recruiting organisation to which a vetting disclosure is made. As I mentioned earlier, the vetting unit currently processes over 300,000 vetting applications per annum. The staff of the vetting unit are to be commended for their work in reducing the processing time for vetting applications, from some 12 to 14 weeks at the time the Minister was appointed in March 2011 to between two and three weeks by May 2012. This improvement was of enormous benefit to individuals and organisations throughout the State. However, the number of staff in the unit decreased by 20 between March and May this year as temporary staff contracts came to an end. This reduction in staff numbers has been partly offset by the redeployment of 15 clerical officers from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to a sub-office of the vetting unit in Ennis in May. The new staff have, at this stage, completed their training period. In the interim, however, processing times again increased and the current processing time vetting applications is eight weeks. Seasonal fluctuations such as the start of the school year and the necessity to seek additional information on particular applications can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion.

The Garda central vetting unit, which will become the National Vetting Bureau and will have a substantially expanded role under new legislation, and the Minister are engaged in discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure adequate staffing to meet these new demands.