Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister of State.

I would be the first to say Garda vetting of staff to ensure the safety of children is imperative and most important. However, the time lapse in seeking approval is completely unacceptable. It is now 14 weeks on average for staff across a wide spectrum to be vetted and accepted or otherwise onto various schemes. This is affecting a wide spectrum of persons and schemes across the country, from trainee nurses to Tús schemes, community employment schemes, staffing in child care facilities, etc.

According to the reply given in a Topical Issue debate in the Lower House on 27 June, 34 new staff were to be allocated to the Garda vetting unit. These staff were to be available from Monday last, 15 July, to work on the backlog for the past few months. Will the Minister of State tell me how this will reduce the waiting time and assure me that it will be brought back to what the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, stated on 27 June would be an acceptable waiting time for vetting of four weeks?

This is an important issue for many who are awaiting clearance, as I have outlined, to take up positions in many schemes across the country and also for their employers to ensure they can fill current vacancies. The timescale of 14 weeks is unacceptable and has been recognised as such by the Government. The question is whether the 34 extra staff, on top of existing staff, will be able to make a dent in the waiting list and what the new timescale will be for Garda vetting.