COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 14, 2011

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor M. Corr

That this Council calls on Garda Management to give a commitment to ensure that their vetting process for housing allocations takes no longer than 28 days, as the extremely lengthy delays in the current  Garda vetting process are severely punitive and unacceptable and deny the timely progession of eligible families into their new homes/schemes.

REPORT:

The Council is obliged to carry out Garda checks in relation to the following areas of its Housing activity.

A. Checks on applicants who have applied for Council Housing and who are nearing the top of the waiting list.

B. Tenants seeking transfers to alternative accommodation.

C. Applicants under the Rental Accommodation Scheme

D. Applicants for housing who have presented to the Council as homeless persons

E. Housing applicants about to be nominated to Voluntary Housing bodies.

F. Applicants who have applied to be included on the rent in a Local Authority dwelling.

G. Existing tenants who have been reported to the Council as being responsible for anti social behaviour.

H. Applicants seeking housing under the Applicant Sourced Housing and Choice Based Leasing schemes.

There are currently 251 Garda checks outstanding from 33 Garda Stations, many of which are outside the Dublin area. 

The Council is aware that demands for Garda Checks have grown significantly over recent years due to such matters as child protection, Employment vetting, Voluntary and Community activity etc. It is further understood that the process of carrying out each check can be cumbersome since each incident involving an individual will  have a separate PULSE ID.

The Council is in regular contact with the local Garda Superintendents and Chief Superintendents and has sought at all times to increase their awareness of the urgency of garda checks and the good working relationships which exist have been invaluable in this regard.  The matter will be included for discussion also at a future Joint Policing Committee.

If this motion is passed the terms thereof will be conveyed to Garda Management.