Written answers

Thursday, 19 June 2008

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Garda Vetting Services

5:00 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress achieved to date in co-operation with the Six Counties authorities on the exchange of information for vetting persons working with children. [24238/08]

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he is contemplating changes in vetting services that would comply with or mirror the expanded services in the Six Counties under the new ACCESS NI background checking service. [24239/08]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for a number of organisations in Ireland which are registered with the GCVU and which employ people to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.

In respect of vetting applications which contain addresses in Northern Ireland, a successful reciprocal arrangement is in place with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the results received in response to requests are disclosed to the relevant registered organisation concerned.

The GCVU is undergoing a planned, phased expansion of the services it provides. In order to meet the increased demand arising since 2006 from this major expansion, the GCVU has been in receipt of very significant additional resources. In particular, the human resource allocation to the Unit has increased from 13 originally to its current level of 66, allowing for a greatly enhanced turnaround time in dealing with vetting applications.

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the sports organisations that carry out vetting of their paid and non-paid personnel working with children; and the number of vetting applications per organisation, to date in 2008. [24240/08]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that Garda Vetting is conducted by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) on behalf of organisations employing personnel to work in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or student placement capacity with children and/or vulnerable adults, which are registered with the Unit.

The phased roll-out of Garda vetting to sports organisations is being managed in liaison with the Irish Sports Council and arrangements are being put in place to register a number of additional sporting organisations during 2008. This arrangement has been approved by the Implementation Group on Garda Vetting.

The table lists the sporting organisations registered with the GCVU and provisional figures for the number of applications received from each to date in 2008:

OrganisationApplications received to date in 2008
Football Association of Ireland584
Irish Pony Club175
Tennis Ireland166
Junior Golf Ireland152
Volleyball Association of Ireland22
Swim Ireland20
Irish Gymnastics Ltd1
Irish Rugby Football UnionNil
Irish Sailing AssociationNil
Basketball IrelandNil
Badminton Union of IrelandNil
Mountaineering Council of IrelandNil
Camogie AssociationNil
Ladies Gaelic Football AssociationNil
Irish Canoe UnionNil
Irish Underwater CouncilNil
Cycling IrelandNil
Irish Amateur Rowing AssociationNil
Irish Motor Sports AssociationNil
Irish Surfing AssociationNil

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of staff in the Garda Vetting Unit; the number of applications dealt with annually; and the average processing time per application. [24241/08]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are currently 66 personnel attached to the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU). The current average time for the processing of correctly completed vetting application forms is approximately four weeks, and the Central Vetting Unit dealt with 187,864 applications in 2007, the latest year for which a full-year figure is available.

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