Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Garda vetting procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6381/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Arrangements for the Garda vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff were introduced on a non-statutory basis in September 2006.

In April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons. The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person in relevant work with children or vulnerable persons. The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

When the vetting requirements were commenced last April, my Department issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures.

The Vetting Act provides that a relevant organisation must, other than in certain limited circumstances, obtain a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau prior to commencing the employment of an employee to undertake relevant work with children or vulnerable adults. The Vetting Act allows for some limited exemptions to this requirement, including certain exemptions that are applicable in the case of recurring substitute employment such as a recurring substitute S employment. The Act’s exemptions in respect of substitute employment are set out in section 5.3 of my Department’s circular.

Under the new statutory vetting procedures, the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff continues to be conducted via the relevant diocesan office or school management body as the relevant conduit organisation for the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff employed by schools. In the case of ETB schools the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such vetting. My Department understands that the majority of these bodies are now using the National Vetting Bureau’s electronic vetting facility.