Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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466. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Garda National Vetting Bureau presented annual reports to his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2021; if he will provide a copy of each report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3151/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) has submitted an annual report to my Department for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. I have attached copies of these reports below for the Deputy.

I am informed by An Garda Síochána that the 2021 report has been completed and is currently in the process of being translated to Irish before it will be submitted to my Department.

I have also been informed that annual reports were not completed in 2016 and 2017 as a result of the significant workload being undertaken at the GNVB to transition from a paper-based system to an e-vetting system. This was underpinned by the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016.

Due to the competing demands of on-boarding approximately 25,000 relevant organisations on to the e-vetting system and managing the Retrospective Vetting requirement of section 21 of the Act, the GNVB were not in a position to complete annual reports at that time.

I trust this has been of assistance.