Garda Appeal to Organisations to Transition to eVetting
Following it’s commencement on 29th April 2016, the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 had the effect of making vetting mandatory for all persons working with children and vulnerable persons. Essentially, a person cannot conduct such work unless they have been vetted by the National Vetting Bureau.
This requirement places significant responsibilities on organisations to ensure that they have processes in place within their recruitment policies to ensure that vetting is completed before the person takes up employment.
The National Vetting Bureau worked closely with all relevant organisations over the last two years to ensure that each organisation understands the implications of such obligations. The Bureau ran a series of briefing seminars, attended by all organisations, in both 2014 and 2016, to ensure that each organisation was fully aware of their responsibilities on commencement of the Act. In addition, the Bureau provided training opportunities for use of the eVetting system to all organisations through 2014, 2015 and 2016.
In conjunction with the commencement of the Act the National Vetting Bureau launched the new eVetting system. This system is specifically designed to ensure speedy processing of vetting applications. The eVetting service provides for a 5 day turnaround for 80% of applications. In addition, the system has streamlined the entire vetting process, given more visibility to both organisations and applicants and contributed to a sustained reduction in processing times for applications.
A key feature of the eVetting system is that the individual applicant can track progress of their own vetting application on-line and can , therefore, see when their application has been processed and returned to the relevant registered organisations.
Feedback from organisations using the eVetting system is extremely positive, with organisations commenting that the system is ‘significantly faster and enabling speedy recruitment of essential front line staff’ and . ‘quick and very easy, and provided us with an electronic system of tracking vetting that we didn’t have previously, which was a significant advantage…the move to eVetting has been very beneficial’.
The online system has been accessed from 135 countries worldwide and from every continent.
Currently, 85% of all vetting is conducted on line. 71% of organisations are utilising the eVetting system. This equates to 358 organisations. The group represents both large and small organisations. A remaining 150 organisations have not engaged with the eVetting system to date.
Superintendent Meyler, National Vetting Bureau, is in constant contact with organisations who have to date not transitioned to the eVetting system, to encourage and support them to do so. The transition can be completed in less than 24 hours; requires no commercial outlay; necessitates access to a standard computer of laptop only and is very user friendly. Superintendent Meyler is making an appeal to all organisations remaining with paper based applications to transition to eVetting as soon as possible. Doing so will reduce the organisations vetting times overnight from 4-5 weeks to 5 working days, allowing organisations to provide a professional service to their staff. Superintendent Meyler wants to assure each organisation that they will receive all the support necessary to ensure a smooth and speedy transition.
Superintendent Myler is available for phone interviews between 10am and 11am, if you are interested please email this office with your contact details to pressoffice@garda.ie
Note: There is currently no backlog in the National Vetting Bureau. There is a 5 day turnaround for 80% of eVetting applications. Paper application, once received can take 4-5 weeks. Please see attached comments from organisations that have experienced the benefits of e-vetting.
Mr Peter O Brien Special Olympics Ireland said in relation to their experience with GVU
Efficiency
- Turnaround time for completion of most applications once sent to NVB has more than halved
- The applicant has less information to input as Special Olympics as a Registered Body can pre-populate part of the form
Accuracy
- No issues/misunderstandings made due to illegibility of hand writing
- Omissions are avoided as the system prevents the applicant from moving forward if they neglect to complete a piece of information – this has greatly improved the speed of the process
In addition to the points above, the online system provides a very clear status summary which can be viewed by both the Registered Body and the applicant (tracking the progress of the application)
Ms Kate Hills of Swim Ireland said;
We are delighted with the current system- the speed and versatility of e-vetting and I am promoting this among other sports organisations without question.
Mr Joe Walsh; The Open College said;
The Bureau made assurances that this new way of processing applications would be quicker than ever before.
The teams in the Vetting Bureau have delivered to this promise and the turnaround times are within 5-7 days and considering the national rollout of this new process, that is very impressive.
Sandra Stanley of the Irish Red Cross said;
Garda vetting in the form of e-vetting has enhanced the opportunities for communities and people around the country to used the service of the membership of the Irish Red Cross, this in turn encompasses our fundamental principles, vision an admission of the Irish Red Cross but also the International Movement. The turnaround has been fantastic for the organisation but also for the staff within the Garda Vetting section of Red Cross
