Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla has advised that Tusla is responsible for ensuring that foster carers are vetted in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 and 2016. The Tusla Central Vetting Bureau facilitates Garda Vetting for foster carer applications to Tusla Fostering Services. Garda vetting is completed as part of the foster care assessment by the fostering social worker. It is updated one year post approval and every 3 years after that.

The National Standards for Foster Care (2003) stipulate that when placing children or young people with a foster carer through a non-statutory agency, Tusla are responsible for satisfying themselves that the statutory requirements are met and that the children or young people receive a high quality service, and that Tusla only enters into a service agreement with non-statutory agencies when it satisfies itself that the agency has suitable arrangements in place for the vetting of staff and foster carer applicants.

The legislative framework for Garda vetting is set out in the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 which falls under the remit of the Department of Justice.