Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the delays currently being experienced with regard to the processing of Garda vetting applications for newly trained health care workers which currently stands at 18 weeks in view of the fact that this delay is having negative repercussions for both domiciliary home care providers and prospective employees who have completed their health care training. [13886/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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All organisations registered with the Garda Central Vetting Unit are aware of the processing time frames for the receipt of Garda vetting and have been advised to factor this into their recruitment and selection processes. The current average processing time for Garda vetting is approximately 11 weeks. However, particular factors such as seasonal fluctuations and the necessity to seek additional information in certain cases can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion.

It is my objective that processing times should be kept to a minimum, while maintaining the overall integrity of the vetting system. In that regard, following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, sanction was recently granted for an additional 25 staff to be re-deployed from the Department of Agriculture to the Garda Central Vetting Unit in the near future, which should have a positive impact on processing times.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the Garda Central Vetting Unit will become the National Vetting Bureau under the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and will have a substantially expanded role under that legislation. I am currently engaged with An Garda Síochána and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in addressing the staffing issues relevant to the coming into force of the 2012 Act.