Parents worry vetting not applied to all teachers

PARENTS are concerned that proposed background checks on new school staff might not be applied to existing teachers.

Talks are set to begin in the next few weeks on procedures for vetting all staff at primary and secondary level. However, the country’s 45,000-plus school teachers may not have to be checked by gardaí for criminal convictions.

But the National Parents Council (primary) believes existing teachers should be subject to the same vetting procedures as all new staff.