The Government has insisted garda recruits are being fully vetted, amid accusations from the Opposition that the vetting process has been watered down to increase recruitment numbers.
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan rejected allegations from Labour's Spokesperson on Justice Alan Kelly during heated exchanges in the Dáil.
Raising the issue during a debate on justice issues, Mr Kelly said he has been told by gardaí that full vetting "would no longer take place" for new recruits at the Garda Training College in Templemore.
He said this "sent shockwaves" across different garda organisations.
"If gardaí are not going to be vetted, then how can standards be maintained?" he asked.
In response, Mr O'Callaghan said he has been informed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that vetting is done in a central bureau and is "the most stringent in the State".
He acknowledged that there have been changes in how the vetting process takes place, but said this does not mean they are "not vetted".
He said an initial vetting process of personal information now takes place when a new recruit applies to Templemore, while security checks and local vetting occur alongside a further check by the National Vetting Bureau at a later stage.
The minister said that in his view, this is effectively the same as the previous vetting system, as "once they are out on the street they are vetted to the same extent [as previous new gardaí]".
However, Mr Kelly said the claim is "Comical Ali stuff".
"You need to guarantee there are not people in Templemore who are training who should not be training," he said.
Mr Kelly said it is "not factually correct" to say new garda recruits are vetted to the same extent as their predecessors, alleging that "trainee gardaí are out on patrol who are not fully vetted".
"There are gardaí across the country of varying ranks who are disgusted by this," he added.
He claimed those who are not fully vetted have access to garda uniforms and guns, and said he believes the change in vetting has taken place to increase official garda recruit figures.
Mr O'Callaghan said the changes have taken place to speed up the recruitment process and that all vetting takes place before someone formally becomes a garda.
