Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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698. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla currently applies for Garda vetting for its employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5828/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The HSE currently undertakes vetting on behalf of Tusla. I have, however, been advised by Tusla that it has established a new internal central vetting bureau and this will commence operations on 13th February, 2017. The Tusla Central Vetting Bureau will perform all vetting for the Child and Family Agency.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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699. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to support Tusla to open its Garda vetting facility to early years services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5829/17]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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700. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her proposals for services that experience staff turnover in view of the fact it currently takes up to four months for early years services to receive processed Garda vetting forms for prospective staff (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5830/17]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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701. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the recommendations she has for situations whereby a childcare service staff member offers two weeks notice of leaving and Garda vetting for a replacement staff member can take up to four months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5831/17]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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702. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to support services operating schemes for her Department that find themselves unable to recruit replacement staff due to the delay in Garda vetting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5832/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 to 702, inclusive, together.

Two organisations are funded by my Department to process vetting applications on behalf of the early years sector. These organisations are Early Childhood Ireland and Barnardos. Neither Tusla nor Pobal have responsibility for processing Garda Vetting applications on behalf of the Early Years sector.

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 met with both organisations recently 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. Further meetings are being arranged with both organisations.