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

On behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, who is unavoidably detained elsewhere, I thank the Senator for raising this important matter.

The Garda central vetting unit, GCVU, provides employment vetting for approximately 20,000 organisations in Ireland registered with the unit for this purpose. These organisations employ personnel to work in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or student capacity with children and-or vulnerable adults. Garda vetting is conducted only on behalf of registered organisations and not for individual persons on a personal basis. When an organisation is registered with the Garda central vetting unit, it is entitled to receive Garda vetting services in respect of its employees.

A vetting disclosure is made in response to a written request and with the permission of the person who is the subject of that request. Garda vetting disclosures are only issued to specified organisations registered with the GCVU for that purpose in respect of a particular post or employment. The unit processed approximately 328,000 vetting applications on behalf of these organisations in 2012. This workload is likely to increase significantly in the future.

The current average processing time for applications is approximately 12 to 14 weeks from date of receipt. However, seasonal fluctuations and the necessity to seek additional information on particular applications can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion. All organisations registered for Garda vetting are aware of the processing timeframes for the receipt of Garda vetting applications and have been advised to factor this into their recruitment and selection process.

In order to observe equity and fairness in respect of all applicants for Garda vetting, standard processing procedures are such that applications are processed in chronological order, from the date of receipt in the central vetting unit. Each time a new vetting application is received, a full vetting check is conducted to ensure the most recent data available are taken into account. The non-transferability and contemporaneous nature of the certificate protects against the risk of fraud or forgery and is a guarantee of the integrity of the vetting service. It also affords the registered organisation the facility to assess suitability based on the most up-to-date information available on the applicant. The primary objective of the Garda central vetting unit is the protection of children and vulnerable adults and this must remain the case. The House will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the vetting service and the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation. The Minister remains in ongoing contact with the Commissioner on how best the service can continue to be delivered and improved upon, while at all times protecting the integrity of the process.

As the Senator has highlighted, the Minister has received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for the redeployment of additional staff to the vetting offices in Ennis, Tipperary and Thurles. The Garda Commissioner has informed the Minister that there are now one superintendent, three sergeants and approximately 127 whole-time equivalent civilian personnel assigned to the Garda central vetting unit. It is important to note that while the number of people employed in the vetting service is in excess of this, the standard metric for counting staff is in terms of whole-time equivalents.

The staff in Ennis have been fully operational since the end of last year. The other additional staff members have been undergoing training, with the first due to have completed training on 15 July and the last by mid-September. When these staff members have been fully trained in the vetting process, the Minister expects there will be a positive effect on vetting times.

The Department is also examining the scope for the further redeployment of additional personnel from within the public service to the unit and is engaged in ongoing discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in this regard. This is a good example of the value of redeployment within the public service and the contribution it can make to the more effective use of resources. The Minister has been further informed by the Garda Commissioner that sufficient accommodation and equipment have been provided to accommodate all of these additional personnel and facilitate their work when they complete their Garda vetting training.

On behalf of the Minister, I again thank the Senator for raising this matter. I can assure him and the House that it is a matter of utmost importance to the Minister. I will pass on to the Minister the issues and points raised and he has confirmed that he will convey them directly to the Garda Commissioner.