Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 334: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way in which an Irish Citizen goes about obtaining a clearance letter from the Gardaí confirming that they have no criminal record or convictions and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1922/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Garda Síochána does not provide 'clearance letters' to any Irish citizen.

Police certificates are issued, free of charge, to individual applicants by the Garda Superintendent of the Garda District where the applicant resides for the following purposes: requests from non-national consular authorities; applications for non-national visas; and establishing a business in another European Union Member State.

In addition, individuals may submit requests under the Data Protection Acts 1988-2003 to the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU), Racecourse Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, seeking disclosure of personal information from the Garda Criminal Records Database. Any such request must be accompanied by a fee payment (in the form of a cheque or postal order) of €6.35, together with evidence of identity. The response issues directly to the individual applicant.

Finally, the GCVU provides a criminal record vetting service to registered recruiting organisations in respect of, inter alia, persons recruited to work with children and vulnerable adults, with the written consent of the persons to be vetted. Vetting applications may be submitted only by the registered recruiting organisation, and a disclosure thereon is issued by the GCVU directly to the requesting organisation.