Question
457. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 303 of 10 March 2015, the reason a decision has not been reached regarding Garda Síochána vetting of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick who now faces the real possibility of losing his business; if she considers this time frame to be appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28676/15]
Answer
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): I am informed by the Garda authorities that in respect of the application for Garda Vetting which has been made in respect of the person to whom the Deputy refers, further enquiries were required to be made and those enquiries are still continuing. On completion of these enquiries a vetting disclosure will be returned to the relevant authorised signatory.
In general, Garda Vetting processing times can fluctuate depending on seasonal demands and volumes of applications received, and depending on whether further enquiries have to be conducted in respect of any individual application. These enquiries may be conducted for many reasons such as the verification of identity, updating incomplete records or establishing the outcomes of investigations or Court disposals. In such instances processing times may be significantly longer than the general average. The current average processing time is four weeks for 80% of Garda Vetting applications received.