Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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352. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if teachers are Garda vetted only once in their career, yet special needs assistants must be vetted for each position; and if so, the reason that this is the case. [45061/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Following the commencement of the National Vetting Bureau [ Children and Vulnerable Persons ] Act of 2012 by the then Minister for Justice and Equality on the 29 April 2016 (other than section 20 ) my Department issued Circular 31/2016 to all school Authorities and Education Training Boards advising of the statutory obligations placed on school authorities by the Act to obtain a vetting disclosure from the Bureau prior to the employment, contract, permission or placement of a person to undertake relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable persons

In respect to registered teachers, the Teaching Council of Ireland since the 29 April 2016 provides a vetting disclosure, in respect of a registered teacher which has been received by the Teaching Council from the Vetting Bureau electronically, to the relevant school authority.

The Teaching Council commenced the re- vetting system of all registered teachers in 2019/2020. Teachers who are not registered with the Teaching Council cannot receive a State funded salary and if the re-vetting request is not complied with, registration may not be renewed.

The relevant diocesan office or school management body continues to act as a conduit for schools for the purposes of Garda vetting of persons other than registered teachers who are employed, contracted, permitted or placed to undertake relevant work or activities by the school and in the case of ETB schools, the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such purposes.

The Department of Justice has established an inter-departmental group to undertake a review of Garda vetting arrangements and legislation.

The group will make recommendations for amending legislation and strengthening the Garda vetting process and the feasibility of the introduction of a centralised system for vetting SNA's can be considered as part of this work.