Woman denied job over incorrect vetting

A Co Donegal woman was denied a much-needed job in a nursing home after a Garda vetting form listed convictions she did not have.

Lorraine McGinty, aged 32, of The Cottages, Falcarragh, was chosen for the job in the west Donegal nursing home after interview but had the offer withdrawn after the Garda vetting form showed she had a drugs conviction from Drogheda and a public order offence from Dublin.

This week, Ms McGinty, appealed to know how this could happen and how her reputation might be restored, as the information on the Garda vetting form could prevent her travelling to the US or Australia, getting a job here, or taking part in some courses.

Despite contacting the Garda vetting office and the Data Protection Office, she has been unable to get her record corrected and was even told that the nursing home, which gave her a copy of the completed vetting form, could be prosecuted for doing so.

Ms McGinty was interviewed last September and approved for the job as a domestic and multi-task assistant in the nursing home. Her partner, who was in construction, is out of work and she was anxious to get the job to boost their income.

“I sent off the Garda vetting form and the €25 cheque as instructed by my soon-to-be new employer in September. I knew I was due in court on a drink- driving charge from two years previously but thought the vetting form would be back before I went to court — so when I applied I had no convictions. The vetting was supposed to take six weeks.

“I was due to start my new job in October as another person was retiring and I was taking her place. I waited from November, and in January went to court on the drink driving charge. I put my hands up and pleaded guilty and accepted my driving ban. I knew I had been stupid.

“The following week I got a letter from the nursing home saying they could no longer offer me the position due to the disclosures on the Garda vetting form.

“I presumed it was because of the drink-driving conviction, although I had been advised it should not prevent me getting the job as it did not involve driving.”

A few weeks later she was told the nursing home was urgently looking for staff and she again approached the manager. She was told it was not her drink-driving conviction that was the problem, but one for “unlawful possession of drugs”, which she had allegedly been convicted of in Drogheda in Feb 2011 and fined €300.

According to the Garda vetting form she also had a conviction struck out for using “threatening/abusive or insulting behaviour” in Dublin and was convicted on Apr 14, 2009.

“I never did either of these things,” she said.

When she contacted the Data Protection Commissioner to complain about the erroneous information provided by the gardaí, she claims she was told the nursing home could be prosecuted for disclosing it to her.