Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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1675. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to address the length of time it takes early years services to get Garda clearance for hiring new staff; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that it often has little to do with the actual process and is in fact more to do with a backlog; and if her Department is researching any new options that will relieve this backlog and speed up the process in order that services are not left with a shortage of staff which in turn affects the sustainability of the whole service and the children in it. [41236/16]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1697. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the fact that Garda vetting of early childhood practitioners can take more than ten weeks; if consideration will be given to centralising the vetting process in one organisation in order to speed up the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1271/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1675 and 1697 together.

I am aware that there have been difficulties in relation to obtaining vetting disclosures for staff. I have provided additional funding to both Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos to assist the clearance of the backlog of vetting applications that built up during the changeover from paper to e-vetting. In addition, officials from my Department will be meeting with both organisations in the next few weeks to discuss the administration of vetting applications, with the objective of endeavouring to ensure that the process works as efficiently as possible in the interest of early years services and the children attending those services.