Withdrawal of checking procedures 'massive blow to child protection', says Barnardos
Gardaí are no longer able to vet UK residents applying for jobs that involve working with children in Ireland, it emerged yesterday.
In a letter to children's charity Barnardos, the Garda Central Vetting Unit said it could no longer continue to conduct vetting of employees with UK addresses.
Up to four weeks ago, organisations working with children, including the Health Service Executive, could ask the unit to conduct background checks on prospective employees to find out if they are sex offenders.
Liaising with their counterparts in Britain, gardaí could access information on previous convictions, cautions and any history or allegations of child abuse.
A spokesman for the Garda press office would not confirm that the issue was budget related.
"There was a decision taken by the UK authorities not to process any more applications for us," he said. "Individuals can apply to a UK police station for vetting."
The Garda letter to Barnardos advised that prospective staff with UK addresses should be informed that they may make a data protection access request to the UK authorities and must "bear the costs themselves".
Barnardos director of advocacy, Norah Gibbons, said the move was a huge step backwards.
"Current vetting procedures are woefully under-resourced but to withdraw a key element is a massive blow to child protection in this country," she said.
She said Irish-based organisations had no access to the British Criminal Records Bureau to conduct the checks.
"I gather this is an issue of cost, and, if so, our Government must address the resource issues involved. We cannot put a monetary value on the protection of children. The situation is even more urgent with Northern Ireland tightening its child protection measures."
She welcomed steps by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to introduce a memorandum of understanding allowing British and Irish police to liaise on sex offenders but asked how "an initiative at the highest levels can succeed when vital safeguards at grassroots level are being withdrawn".
A spokesman for the Health Service Executive said it would have to examine what the repercussions of the decision would be for the organisation.
