I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, for joining us. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach has outlined the matter. It is important to begin by acknowledging that the most important thing about Garda vetting is that it continues to be done properly, that the integrity of the system stays intact and that it remains an effective tool for safeguarding our children. Having said that, like others I am sure, I have been involved in various clubs and community organisations across Galway over recent years and I know that vetting can at times be a deterrent. It is particularly frustrating for people who have gone through the process very recently but have to do so very quickly again because they want to give a hand to their local club or whatever the case may be. One person pointed out to me recently that teachers can transfer vetting if moving jobs but it cannot be done between sports organisations. Someone who has got vetting for the GAA cannot use that for soccer and so on. Likewise, vetting is needed for a Bus Éireann driver but is not needed for a driver for a private operator. It is very difficult to defend those sorts of discrepancies from a logical perspective.

When looking online in advance of today's matter, I saw that a number of people have suggested a permanent application number, which can be provided to registered organisations for subsequent vetting. That would seem to me to make a lot of sense. In any case, there has to be a better solution to the current situation where people are having to complete the same vetting applications again and again, often in a matter of weeks or a few short months. Surely we can use technology to move to a system where time is saved from the point of view of both the applicant and the staff reviewing applications.

I thank Senator Crowe for raising this important matter. As he knows and as has stated, the primary purpose of the Garda vetting system is and always must be the protection of children and vulnerable adults. It is essential that parents, families, sporting organisations and charities can have confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place for those who undertake these positions in trust, whether it is coaching a children's sports team, working in a care home or working with people with disabilities.

At the same time, I recognise from what the Senator and other representatives have said that concerns have been raised by volunteers, particularly sporting bodies and community organisations, regarding aspects of the current vetting process. Concerns have included the need for repeated vetting applications where an individual volunteer is across multiple organisations or roles. As the Senator indicated, his concern is that if somebody is given vetting to coach the local hurling team, why would they need vetting to coach the local soccer team at the same time? I recognise that we need to make the system more efficient for those sporting organisations, youth services, childcare providers and community groups that rely heavily on volunteers.

I have listened to the Senator's concerns and those of other representatives, as has the Government. I am conscious that volunteers are the backbone of communities across the country. Safeguarding and their participation in it are extremely important. For that reason, following the work of the Garda vetting review group, steps are being progressed to modernise and streamline the current system, while fully maintaining the robust safeguarding standards that are essential. In practice, and subject to the general requirement that vetting be renewed every three years, it is envisaged that where a person has already been vetted for work within a particular risk category, that individual would not need to undergo a completely new vetting process if moving to another role within the same category.

This approach strikes the correct balance. It maintains a strong protection, while also reducing duplication and unnecessary administrative burdens for volunteers and organisations. I note that similar practices operate successfully in other areas. An example is with registered teachers, who are vetted through the Teaching Council. Teachers can move between schools without undergoing full revetting unless the scheduled renewal requirements are needed. There is merit in examining how a comparable model to that used by the council could be applied more broadly.

The Government also recognises the importance of an efficient and responsive system, and that it remains so. In fairness to the Garda National Vetting Bureau, it processes a huge number of applications for vetting each year. In one recent year, it processed in the region of 630,000 applications. Most are dealt with and completed within the short period of seven to nine working days.

The changes being developed will require legislative amendments and updating technical systems. My Department is engaging closely with An Garda Síochána to ensure these reforms deliver a process that is efficient and secure, while ensuring the high standards of safeguarding that the public expects. I am pleased to communicate to Senator Crowe that issues are being developed within my Department to respond to the important matter that he has highlighted.

I thank the Minister. It is welcome and timely to have reforms to the system. I hope they can be implemented as quickly as possible. As I noted earlier, we all understand the need for the system. We are all aware that it is critical that the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults remains in place. We just want to improve the system so it is not a deterrent for volunteers, sports clubs and community organisations.

With regard to the timeline for these reforms, does the Minister have that information to hand? Is this something we could look to complete in 2026?

I am always loath to set a timeline because, inevitably, the whole focus centres on whether it is done by that time or not. As the Senator knows, it will take time to implement the necessary technical and legislative changes that I have mentioned. I assure him that work is ongoing to achieve the aim of a more streamlined vetting system. It has to go through the Department and we have to produce proposals in respect of a general scheme. It then has to go to the Attorney General's office for advice and, ultimately, there will be drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. All of that takes time. The important thing to point out is that a decision has been made that it is an area that requires reform, and I am committed to starting the pathway for that reform.

Nonetheless, a lot of good work is done by the Garda National Vetting Bureau on a daily basis. We do not hear of the successes but only when there are issues in respect of it. Those issues can arise because many people have lived abroad for many years, and vetting sometimes requires gardaí to engage with authorities abroad, which can take time. I again thank the Senator for his question.