Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the list of organisations here registered with the Garda Central Vetting Unit which employ or engage persons who in the course of their work will have substantial, unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25439/11]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the arrangements in place to enable organisations to register with the Garda Central Vetting Unit; if it is a self-registration process; if there is a mechanism in place to ensure that all organisations that should register actually do so; if there is a procedure in place to follow up organisations that should register but fail to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25454/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together.

The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for approximately 19,000 organisations in Ireland, who are registered with the GCVU and which employ personnel to work in a full-time, part time, voluntary or student capacity with children and/or vulnerable adults. The procedure is also conducted for fostering and the Adoption Board.

The service provided is continually being extended, on a phased-basis, to those organisations seeking registration.

The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be practicable by way of answer to a Parliamentary Question to provide details in relation to approximately 19,000 organisations but if the Deputy has any questions in relation to a specific organisation, I will be happy to respond to him. I can tell the Deputy that, in broad terms, the groups which are registered with the GCVU include;

State and Local Government organisations

Religious Institutions

Children's Organisations

Primary, Secondary Schools and the Third Level Sector .

Transport Companies providing school transport to primary and second level students.

Crèches and pre-school organisations

Youth organisations

Sporting organisations

Disability organisations

The Health Sector

In addition, a large number of other voluntary groups providing services to children or vulnerable adults are also registered.

There is currently no statutory obligation on organisations to register with the GCVU. In July 2011, I obtained Government approval for a draft scheme of a "National Vetting Bureau Bill 2011". The scheme provides a statutory framework for vetting procedures. It will provide that organisations dealing with children and vulnerable adults must register with the National Vetting Bureau which will be established under the Bill and will take over from the GCVU. It is hoped to publish the Bill in the fourth quarter of 2011