was asked to pay 11 euro to speed up vetting process

merlinwizard

hi,

can anyone tell me if this is common cuz i think its a bit illegal.

i applied for a job in a homecare. Got a reply from them along with application form + Garda vetting application form + this:

Thank you for your application. Please find attached application pack. Please fill in and return to me by post along with the Garda Clearance fee of €11 to the address below. Because it can take up to 16weeks for the Garda Clearance to come back and we cannot start any new employee without it we require you to pay the €11 now so that the process of your application is much quicker.
In regards to the Garda Clearance the form MUST be printed out one page double sided as the vetting office WILL NOT take two page forms.


Kind Regards,






I know that I cant apply for Garda Vetting on my own, the organisationn should apply on my behalf. I also know that there is no fee for this service. So I phoned Garda Vetting directly and they confirmed what I just typed and that the 11 euro would go to the organisation not them. However, they never said if it was illegal or asked what organisation it was. So, I am curious has this happened to you, is this even legal?


I am not pursuing my job application because I dont like being lied to. There will be other jobs, fingers crossed. I just wanna work, dont we all.

ghosttown

A Polish friend of mine had the same experience, even for a free work placement as part of her FETAC5 course. She didn't have a cheque book, so I did it for her (2009 - it was €10 then) - cheque to Irish Nursing Homes (? I think).
It did speed the process up, and she has a job as a result.

merlinwizard

good for her (for getting the job). I wouldnt mind paying 11 euro, if it was legally required. since there is no fee for the service, so does that mean someone accepted a just 10 euro bribe to speed up the process?

ghosttown

It was 2 years ago like i say, but i recall reading the paperwork and thinking it was a mandatory fee, kinda like a joining fee to get you registered with the nursing home assoc or something, and they in turn helped speed the process up.

merlinwizard

i gotta say, i was in dilemma, i thought what if i could get the job, but then what if its a con, id hate it so much.

i really want to work though. dont know if i should go ahead or not.

thx for sharing ghost, appreciate it

Mrs OBumble

merlinwizard wrote: »

since there is no fee for the service, so does that mean someone accepted a just 10 euro bribe to speed up the process?

It does sound remarkably like it.

I guess the options are that someone inside AGS is speeding up the process in return for (at cut of) the fee. Or that the employer-agency is letting you start without actually getting the vetting report back and that the fee is to convince someone to turn a blind eye. (FWIW, I've had a little to do with garda vettings lately: even though some workplace ones take 3+ months, I now know that some are done a lot more quickly.)

I have absolutely no knowledge of this situation ... on the posting/speculation on this thread. But sadly it wouldn't surprise me if it's true.

donkey balls

I had an agency try and pull this on me about two years ago told them to f**k off as a former ops manager in the airline business I know for a fact that the Gardai dont charge for the checks.
And I dont think that a Gardai would risk there job for a few scaby euro from talking to people that I know working in the industry still on average there is a three month back log for processing applicants,Sounds like the agency is pulling a fast one name and shame I say.

the_syco

From http://www.garda.ie/FAQ/Default.aspx?FAQCategory=36

Is there a fee for accessing my personal data?

Yes, there is a fee of €6.35. All cheques/bank drafts should be made payable to “Accountant, Department of Justice”.

This was the only related fee i could find. The rest could be an "admin fee"?

penexpers

the_syco wrote: »

From http://www.garda.ie/FAQ/Default.aspx?FAQCategory=36

This was the only related fee i could find. The rest could be an "admin fee"?

That is a fee for accessing your personal data as per Data Protection Act. There is no fee for Garda vetting.

http://www.garda.ie/FAQ/Default.aspx?FAQCategory=36#FAQ2721

looksee

One answer might be that if the agency has to get garda clearance and the clearance is refused they have admin costs that they cannot claim back from the employer. At least it goes some way to sorting out people who know they will not get clearance.