Garda calls for take-up of electronic vetting system

Gardaí have appealed to organisations to embrace a new electronic vetting system to avoid delays in employing people working with children or vulnerable people.

Legislation enacted in April has made vetting a legal requirement and, to meet the anticipated surge in demand, the new electronic system was launched to radically reduce waiting times. However, 150 organisations of various sizes have yet to register with the National Vetting Bureau (NVB).

The majority of those applying for vetting via the new system are processed within five days, while the old paper-based version – on which many organisations are still reliant – takes between four and five weeks.

E-vetting

Since the introduction of e-vetting, about 71 per cent of organisations in

Ireland

who rely on due diligence have signed up and it has been used by people in 135 countries.

Gardaí expect today’s 350,000 annual applications to rise to half a million within the next three years and have launched an appeal to organisations to use the new technology.

About 85 per cent of applications are now conducted online and the NVB has said there is currently no backlog.

A number of high-profile organisations have backed the campaign for others to swap over, including Special Olympics Ireland, Swim Ireland and the Irish Red Cross.

The vetting process had come a long way since 2005 when the then Garda Central Vetting Unit was established to handle about 1,500 annual applications.

"The turnaround time a couple of years ago was very long. You were talking about 12 weeks, 19 weeks at one stage," said Supt Sarah Meyler, who heads the service.

In one recent case, an Irish person based in Sierra Leone, who was interested in taking up a position at home, accessed the website and completed the vetting process in three days.

Under the new system, which coincided with the commencement of the National Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016 in April, an employer can invite applicants to be vetted through a secure email link.

Once completed, the organisation forwards the information to the NVB which has a staff of 171, mainly non-sworn members of the Garda.

In confidence

People are asked for various pieces of personal information – which is handled in confidence – including every address they have lived at, aliases and passport number.

Crucially, though, applicants must disclose court convictions, although some, such as traffic and a number of minor public order offences over seven years old, are exempt.

Gardaí are keen to point out the system is not tantamount to a test or a prerequisite for a job.

“The information is not something we make a decision on,” said Supt Meyler. “When we issue a disclosure to an organisation, we don’t make a decision on the suitability of the person. It’s just information: convictions, cases pending, or, with the Act, specified information.”

Under the legislation, “specified information” – which is not based on convictions but which can be deemed relevant – can be included and is defined as “information concerning a finding or allegation of harm to another person”.

It can be received from the Garda and other specified institutions when the information gives “bona-fide concern” that the applicant might harm a child or vulnerable person.

No such information is disclosed to organisations until the person is alerted to the bureau’s intention to include it and, even then, a rigorous appeals process is in place.