55,000 still wait months for Garda clearance

THERE are 55,000 people waiting up to four months to get Garda clearance to work with vulnerable adults or children in community and voluntary services, latest figures from the Department of Justice have shown.

Despite considerable beefing up, the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU), where 89 gardaí and Garda civilian personnel now work, the figure has remained chronically high over the past year.

Last October, the Irish Examiner revealed the backlog was at 60,000. At that time, an additional 10 staff had just been recruited to the unit in Thurles.