Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2026
287. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason there has been a significant delay in delivering the recommendations in the Garda Vetting Review in 2021; when these recommendations will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27406/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary purpose of vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. Clearly, 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 Interdepartmental Vetting Review Group was chaired by my Department and comprised representatives of the following Departments and Agencies:
• An Garda Síochána
• Tusla
• Public Appointments Service
• Department of Education
• Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
• Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
• Health Service Executive
• Department of Foreign Affairs.
The initial focus of the Group's work was the introduction of a system for re-vetting, as well as a review of the approach to vetting for specific employments, to streamline, as far as possible, the administrative arrangements, without compromising the safety of children and vulnerable adults. As the group moved ahead with its work, additional issues were raised and considered.
The group took a careful and thorough approach, as was necessary in meeting its aim of ensuring that the vetting system remains robust and effective as a crucial safeguard for the most vulnerable members of society, that is children and vulnerable adults, while also improving the service to customers.
Ultimately, although the group did not agree a report, I was provided with details of its work and it is clear 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.
