KENNY WELCOMES INCREASE IN VETTING STAFF & ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL VETTING BUREAU

Posted on February 12, 2013 5:58 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Seán Kenny, the Dublin Bay North Labour Party T.D. and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, today welcomed the announcement that sanction has been obtained for the redeployment of 25 additional staff to the Garda Central Vetting Unit.

"The Unit is responsible for processing vetting applications on behalf of approximately 20,000 organisations registered with it. It processed 350,000 applications in 2012, and its work is much valued and much in demand. The Unit, which will become the National Vetting Bureau following commencement of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act, will have a substantially expanded role under new legislation."

"It is very important to ensure adequate staffing to meet these new demands, and I have spoken on this matter in the Dáil previously. The timely processing of vetting applications is of crucial importance. Processing times are currently running at eight to ten weeks, and the additional staff will shorten this waiting time."

"The types of work or activities that require vetting under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act include childcare services and schools, leisure centres and religious centres, not to mention hospitals, health services and residential services for vulnerable persons. The public service, the taxi industry also requires vetting and background checks to be made."

"I understand that Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, has sanctioned an additional 25 staff to be re-deployed from the Department of Agriculture to the Garda Central Vetting Unit, and I want to thank both him and Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter for ensuring that the matter was prioritised."