Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
636. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of the delays in Garda vetting; if he will examine ways in which the backlog can be reduced, and review the delays in the system and work with AGS to introduce a faster process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28603/26]
View answerThe primary purpose of vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. This requires a robust Garda vetting process that reassures the public, and in particular parents, that appropriate checks are conducted on people taking on positions of trust.
The Garda National Vetting Bureau received 633,563 applications for vetting disclosures in 2025 and completed 596,975 applications during the same period.
In respect of current processing timeframes I am advised by the Garda National Vetting Bureau that the current processing time for 85% of vetting applications is 8/9 working days.
It should be noted that in a number of instances, it is necessary to conduct enquiries with Garda stations and external agencies such as the Courts Service, Probation Service, and Tusla (the Child and Family Agency), etc. These enquiries are conducted for a multiplicity of reasons such as verification of identity; updating of incomplete records; and establishing outcomes of investigations. In such instances, processing times are significantly longer than the general average. Vetting can also take longer where a person has spent time living abroad.
However, the Government is aware that concerns have been raised regarding certain aspects of the vetting process and I have listened carefully to the views of the sporting and voluntary sectors.
In this regard, I am conscious that aspects of the current vetting system result in a highly-segmented process. I believe that the vetting system should be updated to ensure that the burden of seeking vetting disclosures, particularly on volunteers and organisations working in their communities, is minimised to the greatest extent possible, while maintaining the necessary high standards for this process.
I have therefore directed that steps be taken to implement a number of key changes, specifically in relation to re-vetting and the portability of vetting. In practice, and subject to a general requirement that vetting be renewed every three years, it is envisaged that this will mean that when a person is vetted for the work they will be or are likely to be involved in as part of their employment or volunteering within identified risk categories, that individual would not be required to repeat the process if they were to move to another role within the same risk category.
These changes will require amending legislation and updated technical systems to support the revised approach, to make the process more efficient for volunteers and organisations, without compromising the essential safeguards that protect those in our care.
My Department continues to engage with the Garda National Vetting Bureau on the detailed work of developing the necessary legislative and technical steps to meet these goals in a way that is workable in practice. It is my objective to ensure that the vetting system is fit for purpose and, to the greatest extent possible, efficient and future-proofed to continue to protect our children and vulnerable adults.
