Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 474: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the national vetting bureau legislation is expected to eliminate the possibility of risk arising from any inadequacies in the register of sex offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14287/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of section 26 of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, it is an offence for a person convicted of a sexual offence to apply for a position working with children or mentally impaired persons without informing the employer of their criminal conviction.

It is currently the practice for persons working in such positions to be vetted when they apply for employment and any criminal conviction is disclosed by the Gardaí at that stage. The National Vetting Bureau Bill will make the current practice mandatory. It will be an offence for an employer to fail to have prospective employees vetted before appointing them to such positions. This will further strengthen the protection that the law affords to children and vulnerable adults.