Vetting to protect children ready to go

ALL people working with children will face stringent background checks from January, more than 16 months after the Government first announced extended vetting controls.

The Garda Central Vetting Unit (CVU) has been working from Thurles since earlier this month after it was finally given the extra staff first promised by Children’s Minister Brian Lenihan in September 2004.

But because most of the 31 civilian staff, overseen by a garda inspector and two sergeants, must be trained and the new computer system has to be tested, the extended service will not come into operation until January.