Gardaí must be allowed to disclose all relevant details on childcare staff

THE Garda Vetting Unit in Thurles is a small, discreet office.

Housed in a modern business park, it is tucked away somewhat from the hustle and bustle of the town. Looking at it from the outside, you’d never guess that a key battle is waged in there, day in and day out. But the people who work in that office are engaged in a critical, fundamental activity. Most of them are civilians, although they are led by a dedicated garda inspector, Pat Burke, and a small team of able garda sergeants.

Their mission is a simple one — child protection. And it’s a mission they take seriously. It is their job to seek to ensure that no one works with children who shouldn’t be working with children, and they work very hard and exercise careful judgment to see that that happens. They are hampered by the fact that vetting isn’t yet compulsory everywhere it should be, no matter what the official position states.