According to a report on RTE's Morning Ireland programme, more than 36,000 teachers have yet to be vetted by gardai. Figures available show that while almost 90,000 teachers are registered with the Teaching Council, about 40% have yet to be garda vetted. Currently only new teachers and those who move schools are required to obtain garda clearance which is administered by the Teaching Council.

While new legislation is being drafted that will make it mandatory for people working with children to have garda clearance, the Department of Education has confirmed that existing teachers will not be immediately subject to the requirements. According to RTE, the Department of Education is anxious to avoid overwhelming the vetting system with teacher applications.

Currently the dedicated garda central vetting unit processes an average of 6,000 applications per week. The average waiting time for garda vetting, according to figures from the first half of the year, is four weeks.

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