Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the categories of school staff that are subject to vetting; the timescale for providing for vetting of all categories of school staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5748/06]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if all staff at primary and secondary schools, in addition to teaching staff, will be vetted by the central vetting unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5558/06]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if part-time teachers and other part-time school staff will be vetted by the central vetting unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5561/06]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when all teachers will be vetted by the central vetting unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5557/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 154, 162 and 163 together.

Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, for parents, for agencies that work with children and for society generally and the Government is determined to do all it can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe.

In the education sector, vetting is available in respect of prospective employees of children in detention schools as well as special needs assistants, SNAs, and bus escorts to children with special needs. My colleague, Deputy Brian Lenihan, Minister of State with responsibility for children, announced a doubling of the number of staff employed in the vetting unit — which has been relocated to Thurles under the Government's decentralisation programme — to ensure that it can handle a greater volume of requests from employers. The provision of additional staff resources will enable the Garda Síochána's vetting services to be extended to all persons working with children and vulnerable adults. This will include teachers, caretakers, bus drivers and others working with children, whether on a full-time or part-time basis.