Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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471. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when section 20 of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 as amended by Section 23 of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosure) Act, 2016 will be commenced; if there are proposals to amend this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22973/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The primary purpose of vetting carried out by the National Vetting Bureau is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. I am sure the Deputy will appreciate the importance of this task and the need for it to be carried out thoroughly and correctly.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Vetting Review Group was established in April 2021 and meets regularly to discuss potential amendments to vetting legislation. This group includes members of the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) in An Garda Síochána, officials from my Department, from Tusla, and from other relevant stakeholders.

The primary focus of the Group is strengthening the vetting legislation in an effective manner, including any changes that may be possible in relation to multi-purpose vetting or re-vetting.

I expect to receive the Group’s report on arrangements for Garda Vetting in the context of the introduction of a statutory re-vetting regime by the end of quarter two of this year.