Vetting for all people working with children still not implemented

The government and gardaí have failed to implement the expansion of the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) in the eleven months since it was announced and promised, at that time, in a "matter of months". On 23 September 2004 Brian Lenihan, Minister for State for Children, announced the addition of 17 staff to the GCVU in order to extend vetting procedures to all persons working with children and vunerable adults. This meant the staff would almost double giving a total of 30 people working for the vetting unit.

The expansion came from recommendations made by the Working Group on Garda Vetting, who looked into how the government and gardai could vet all people working with children and vunerable adults. At the launch Minister Lenihan said: "The requirement for additional resources for the Central Vetting Unit is the lynch pin of the recommendations of the Working Group on Garda Vetting." At the time he was reluctant to give a definite schedule for the expansion but said that it would be "a matter of months".

Gearóid O Maoilmhichíl, a child protection co-ordinator with the Irish Youth Foundation raised concerns last September about the implementation: "we are worried about the lack of guarantees on the time-frame for all of this." Eleven months later nothing has happened.

Fine Gael's spokesperson for Education and Science, Olwyn Enright said this week: "With children starting school or returning to the classroom next week the failure to improve vetting standards is all the more worrying." Part of the problem with the implementation of the expansion has been a delay in the necessary legislation changes. Amendments to the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act and the Sex Offenders Act are required before the expansion can go ahead. Olwyn Enright pointed out that these amendments are not even listed in the programme yet, "Clearly the expansion of the vetting procedures is not considered to be a priority."

The GCVU was established in January 2002 to deal with the then known demand for vetting applications. The Unit currently deals with approximately 100,000 requests per annum.

The Department of Justice said: "The extension of the services of the GCVU will commence on a phased basis later this year, as soon as the necessary practical arrangements are in place. In this regard, the GCVU is in the process of moving to a custom-designed office accommodation in Thurles, Co Tipperary, from where it will roll out its expanded services."

Emma Browne