GARDA CENTRAL VETTING UNIT

1. GARDA CENTRAL VETTING UNIT 2013 Garda Central Vetting Unit

2. GCVU Background • Up to 2001, background checks conducted by Crime & Security, Garda HQ. Also at local Garda Stations • GCVU established by the Garda Commissioner in Jan 2002 • Located in the Garda Criminal Records Office and the Data Protection Processing Unit, Garda HQ. • Aug 2002 – Soham. Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman • Sept 2004 – Expansion of Garda Vetting Unit announced • Nov 2005 – Decentralise GCVU to Thurles • Dec 2012 – National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. Garda Central Vetting Unit

3. Garda Vetting • The Garda Central Vetting Unit is the single point of contact within An Garda Siochana to conduct Garda Vetting. • The Garda Central Vetting Unit conducts Garda Vetting for organisations registered with the Unit. • Garda vetting is conducted in respect of personnel working in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or student placement capacity in a position in a registered organisation, by virtue of which they have unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults. • Garda Vetting is conducted in respect of individuals predicated on the written authorisation of the said individual. • Garda Vetting is conducted solely on behalf of registered organisations and is not conducted for individual persons on a personal basis. Garda Central Vetting Unit

4. Garda Vetting Examples of Organisations currently obtaining vetting with GCVU Public Service Employees An Garda Siochana Nurses/Doctors Paramedics Physiotherapists Consultants Ancillary Staff Teachers Class Assistants School Transport Social Care Students Medical Students Youth Workers Nursing Homes Crèches All Sports Clubs Arts/Crafts Tutors Summer Camps All Youth Clubs Private Security Authority An Post Defence Forces Custom and Excise Probation Welfare All Charity Organisations Religious Institutions Social Workers Fostering/Adoption Parents Home Care Workers Childminding Services An Gaelteacht Householders Children's Groups Host Families Reception Integration Agency Homeless Agencies Community Workers School Wardens All Disability Organisations All Children’s Organisations Local Authority Workers Family Resource Centres Community Development Groups Private Language Schools Community Service Volunteers Private Leisure Centres Taxi Drivers All Voluntary Organisations Counselling Services Service Providers Garda Central Vetting Unit

5. Processing Time • Currently the average processing time for applications received at GCVU is 7 weeks. • Processing times fluctuate upwards and downwards depending on seasonal demands and volumes received. • Notwithstanding this, in a number of instances, it is necessary to conduct enquiries with external Garda Stations and Agencies such as the Courts Service, Probation Service, HSE, etc. These enquiries are conducted for a multiplicity of reasons such as verification of identify; updating of incomplete records; and establishing outcomes of investigations. In such instances processing times are significantly longer than the general average. • Since April 2013 additional staff have been transferred to the Garda Central Vetting Unit. • All these staff have completed their training and are now fully operational. • As a result, processing times have reduced from 16 weeks on 1st July to 7 weeks as of this date. It is envisaged that this trend will continue and processing times will reduce further in the coming weeks. Garda Central Vetting Unit

6. Decision Making • Details contained in a Garda Vetting Disclosure should be verified with the Vetting Subject in advance of any decision being made which may affect them. • A Decision Maker or Decision Making Committee should be appointed within a Registered Organisation to assess Garda Vetting Disclosures received in respect of Vetting Subjects. • Decisions in respect of the suitability of a Vetting Subject for a position within a Registered Organisation are the responsibility of the Decision Maker/Decision Making Committee within the organisation and the Garda Central Vetting Unit will have no input into any such decisions. Garda Central Vetting Unit

7. Portability of Vetting • As applications are transmitted directly from registered organisations to the Garda Central Vetting Unit and vice versa, in doing so, the risk of applications being fraudulently interfered with by any third party in advance of receipt at the Garda Central Vetting Unit or prospective employer is minimised. • This methodology provides that each organisation can separately carry out vetting in respect of a vetting subject as details of prosecutions and/or convictions are subject to possible change over time. An up to date check is conducted in respect of each application received from registered organisations and consequently an up to date vetting disclosure is issued, thus affording the organisation the opportunity of assessing a vetting disclosure which is synchronous with their decision making process. Garda Central Vetting Unit

8. E-Vetting • An e-vetting solution is being developed and this will facilitate the processing of all applications in an e-format. • The initial phase of testing the e-vetting system is taking place in the fourth quarter of 2013. • It will take a period of approximately 12 to 18 months to fully implement it, post commencement. When this is achieved, this system will streamline the overall vetting process in this jurisdiction Garda Central Vetting Unit

9. National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 • Act signed by President in December 2012. • Commencement date not yet appointed by Minister for Justice & Equality. • Act makes provision for the protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons. • Garda Central Vetting Unit shall, after commencement of Act, be known National Vetting Bureau Garda Central Vetting Unit

10. National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 • Relevant organisations shall NOT employ, enter into contract for services, permit person to undertake relevant work unless the organisation receives a vetting disclosure from the Bureau in respect of that person. • Liaison Persons • Vetting Disclosures shall include particulars of the criminal record and specified information relating to the person OR state that there are no criminal records or specified information relating to the person. Garda Central Vetting Unit

11. National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 • CRIMINAL RECORD “criminal record”, in relation to a person, means— (a) a record of the person’s convictions, whether within or outside the State, for any criminal offences, together with any ancillary or consequential orders made pursuant to the convictions concerned, or (b) a record of any prosecutions pending against the person, whether within or outside the State, for any criminal offence, or both; Garda Central Vetting Unit

12. National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 • SPECIFIED INFORMATION “specified information”, in relation to a person who is the subject of an application for vetting disclosure, means information concerning a finding or allegation of harm to another person that is received by the Bureau from— (a) the Garda Síochána pursuant to an investigation of an offence or pursuant to any other function conferred on the Garda Síochána by or under any enactment or the common law, or (b) a scheduled organisation pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) of section 19, in respect of the person and which is of such a nature as to reasonably give rise to a bona fide concern that the person may— (i) harm any child or vulnerable person, (ii) cause any child or vulnerable person to be harmed, (iii) put any child or vulnerable person at risk of harm, (iv) attempt to harm any child or vulnerable person, or (v) incite another person to harm any child or vulnerable person; Garda Central Vetting Unit

13. Re-vetting & Retrospective Vetting • The Minister may in relation to the periods and intervals of time • prescribe periods of time and intervals of time in respect of different relevant organisations or classes of relevant organisations, • prescribe different periods of time or different intervals of time in respect of different circumstances or classes of circumstances or in relation to different types of relevant work or activities or classes of relevant work or activities. Garda Central Vetting Unit

14. Work Skills Application Form Garda Vetting – one piece of the Jigsaw! Education Employment History Interview Reference checks Garda Vetting CV Garda Central Vetting Unit

15. Garda Central Vetting Unit Racecourse Road Thurles Co. Tipperary. Contact Re: Garda Vetting Applications 0504 - 27300 Fax: 0504 – 27373 Garda Central Vetting Unit