Garda vetting services must be extended to all groups working with vulnerable people, the Green Party spokesman on justice said last night.
Ciaran Cuffe, said he was extremely concerned by the fact a large number of organisations working with children and vulnerable adults still cannot get Garda clearance checks on workers.
"I was shocked to learn that an individual with a considerable criminal record, who was yesterday jailed for 16 years for multiple rape and false imprisonment, had held a paid position with a homeless charity in Dublin up until February of this year," he said.
"It is entirely unacceptable that a charity organisation providing an invaluable service to the homeless cannot access basic background checks on the individuals it employs. This places these organisations in an extremely compromising position."
The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) called on Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to prioritise and adequately support the preventative measures he has outlined over the last number of years.
Fiona Neary, RCNI executive director, said it was unacceptable that Garda vetting was being given such a low priority.
In 2004, a working group on Garda vetting produced a strategy document advocating the expansion of the criminal record vetting service to all organisations that recruit people who have substantial, unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults.
"Almost two years later, too many organisations are still waiting for access to vetting services," Mr Cuffe said.