An Garda Síochána
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Niall Collins (FF), Limerick County

In general terms and taking on board what Deputy Daly said about the multiplicity of factors, I want to speak about turnaround times. I am advised by the Garda National Vetting Bureau that the target turnaround time for organisations using the eVetting system is five to ten working days for over 85% of vetting applications received. I am informed that 85% of vetting applications are processed within nine working days, which is within the target turnaround time. There are a number of factors outside An Garda Síochána's control that can impact on the timeline for individual applications. These include, for example, where a person has lived overseas. In such cases, An Garda Síochána must contact law enforcement partners in the relevant countries to obtain information, and this takes additional time. Vetting is carried out by An Garda Síochána in accordance with the national vetting bureau Acts 2012 to 2016.
I beg the Chair’s indulgence to reply to Deputy Carthy on trainees. In general, all trainees are vetted in advance of entering Templemore. No candidate is allowed to enter the Garda College without a level of vetting that allows the Commissioner to be confident they are of good character. However, in recognition of the fact that the completion of the full vetting process before admission to training was delaying member recruitment inordinately, An Garda Síochána has introduced a resequencing of vetting. This resequencing means that before a candidate can enter the college, they will have fully completed stage 1 and sometimes stage 2 of the three-stage process. The remaining stages are completed while they undergo training in Templemore and prior to their attestation as members of An Garda Síochána. No one is attested as a member of An Garda Síochána unless and until they have been fully vetted.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27