The ISPCC will today announce plans to gather 250,000 signatures in favour of vetting for all people who work with children.
Most people who work with children are not appropriately vetted, the ISPCC's chief executive, Mr Paul Gilligan, said yesterday.
He is calling for the extension of procedures used during the Special Olympics - when all 30,000 volunteers had to undergo Garda checks - to everyone who has access to children in their professional or voluntary work.
"It is very hard to see the rationale behind not extending these checks," he said, "apart perhaps from a cost argument. But if we're saying we value the safety of our children, I can see no reason for not doing it."
The campaign is called "How Can We Be Sure They're Safe?" and those involved in gathering the signatures will present them at the Dáil in the autumn.
