Almost 700 positions are unfilled in Irish schools due to a Garda vetting backlog

Just under 400 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) and just under 300 teaching vetting applications are still pending.

A little under 700 positions in Irish schools are currently unfilled in Ireland due to a backlog in the Garda vetting process. According to RTÉ, some children with disabilities have been asked to remain at home and others to attend school for shorter periods of time because Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are not yet in place to cater for them. 389 Special Needs Assistant and 294 teacher applications are still pending in what is the first year that schools cannot employ anyone whose background has not vetted by the Gardaí due to a change in legislation. Gardaí say that the majority of those applications will have been received within the last five days and that while 80% of electronic applications are processed within five days, some schools are still obliged to make paper applications, 80% of which are taking four to five weeks to process. A centralised system of electronic vetting for teachers, which is run by the Teacher's Council, is believed to be working well, but vetting for Special Needs Assistants has been proving difficult, with RTÉ News having spoken to one who has been vetted 15 times. You can find more information on the Garda vetting process on the Teaching Council website and garda.ie.