Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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254. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) can have their spent convictions cleared by the Garda National Vetting Bureau; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51879/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Vetting for employment purposes is carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau in accordance with the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016 and other relevant laws.  The primary purpose of the arrangements that have been put in place is to support protection for children and vulnerable adults.  Neither I nor my Department has any role in the processing of such applications.

As the Deputy will be aware the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 sets out the arrangements in law whereby certain past convictions may not be disclosed.  This Act made a series of amendments to the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 in respect of the arrangements for the disclosure or otherwise of past convictions in the vetting process.  These provisions are applied by the National Vetting Bureau in the context of processing all vetting applications.