This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.
Michael Commane
I want to explain to you something the Irish State is doing that is beyond ridiculous. I have written about it before but it urgently needs to be brought into the public forum and the exercise must be stopped immediately. It is the complete nonsense of the current system of Garda Vetting.
Let me explain my experience.
My job requires that I be Garda vetted every number of years to ensure that I have no criminal record. That makes perfect sense as my work can involve my interacting with children and vulnerable adults. I understand why I need Garda clearance for my job.
But the way the State is currently doing it is worse than preposterous. And what a waste of money and human resources.
On January 9 this year I received notification from the Dominican Order that having completed the Garda Vetting application form my records showed that I had no criminal record. In order for that Vetting Disclosure to be made I had to complete a form giving all my addresses from the day of my birth until then. Each address had to include full postal details and the length of time I spent at those addresses. In my case that is 14 addresses.
Earlier this month I received notification from my employer, this time not the Dominican Order, that to continue in my employment I had to be Garda vetted. Some days later I received the Garda Vetting application form. And guess what, I had once again to fill out all my addresses since my birth.
I have no idea how many times I’ve done this exercise since it was introduced on April 29, 2016. And each time the applicant’s application form has to be studied and examined by heaven knows how many people. What a complete waste of money. How many people are employed in this exercise?
I was told by the State only on January 9 I had no criminal record, which implied I could continue in ministry as a priest in the Dominican Order.
And now, just less than three months since I had been told I had a clear criminal record, I have been required to ask the State once again whether or not I have a criminal record.
I know someone who was required in a two-week period to complete three separate Garda Vetting application forms for three different employments.
Honestly, it is insane. Why not ask me only for my addresses since the last time I applied for Garda clearance? If Social Welfare can give me so much information about myself why can’t the Garda Vetting system have a similar system in place?
Why does the person who requires Garda Vetting have to be vetted for each different employment? Why does the Garda Vetting system not have a universal application?
Who thought up this system? Probably, whoever they are, has retired on a multi-thousand severance package.
Why are people not objecting to the current system? Has anyone ever phoned the Joe Duffy Show about it. It would make a great topic on which Joe could chew. Someone, please call Joe.
2 comments:
Fundamentally, the Gardaí don't vet. The authority under which one works or volunteers "vets" you on the (partial) basis of a report from the Gardaí, i.e. make a decision on the basis of that report. Some reports may disclose criminal convictions, but they might be compatabile with some work. For example, a drunken driving conviction from many years ago might not cause a problem for certain employment/volunteering.
Admittedly, it would make sense for various authorities to have access to the latest version of our Gardaí reports without going through the application process very frequently, which as you say can happen very easily.
But I should stress again, the Gardaí provide reports/disclosures which are factual; they are neither prescriptive, permissive and in no way make decisions. Decisions are made by employers, etc.
There are other ways to do this. The same requirement for police vetting are also in place in Germany, and, as up to my recent retirement I worked with children, I had to provide my employer with what is called here in Germany a "qualifiziertes Führungszeugnis", which must be updated every five years.
The process is in one way easier here, because German law requires that you formally register your address, and every change of address, with a particular department of the local authority ("Einwohnermeldeamt"). So all your previous addresses are (at least theoretically) on record. It takes around ten days to two weeks for the certification to arrive in the post, and you then give this to your employer who puts it in your file. If you move to another job, you can get a copy of the certification and present it to your new employer. You have to pay for it (a little under 20 euros, if my memory serves me correctly).
Here's the interesting thing, though. The last time I had to renew my certification, I got two; one from the German police, and a second from the Irish police covering the period, I presume, I was resident in Ireland (there were no dates on the certificate). I received no queries about the various addresses I had in Ireland.
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