Garda Vetting Update 30 April 2019

Garda Vetting Policy

Under Garda vetting legislation, the Childcare Regulations and Children First, every person who works directly with children, must have completed Garda vetting before they start work in an early years service.

The early years service must also have a Garda Vetting Policy under their Recruitment Policy, which outlines the Garda vetting procedure taken for each new employee, for re-vetting and for dealing with Garda vetting disclosures.

Your Garda Vetting Policy should include the following (in line with your Recruitment Policy):

• Who needs Garda Vetting and Why
  Garda Vetting is a legal requirement for all people working directly with children and vulnerable adults, under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016. Relevant work activity consists of any work or activity which is carried out by a person, where a necessary and/or regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons.

• Your nominated Garda Vetting Liaison Person
  The nominated Garda Vetting Contact Person is registered under the organisation’s membership number with Early Childhood Ireland. It is their role to manage all Garda vetting applications submitted by the organisation.

• Your nominated Decision Maker or Decision-Making Committee
  A decision maker/ decision making committee can be a senior member of staff or members of the interview panel. The Decision Maker/Decision Making Committee will assess the suitability of applicants for positions within the Organisation regarding any Garda vetting disclosures that may be received in respect of them.

• The Garda Vetting Process
  For example, in the job advertisement it will be stated that successful applicants will be required to carry out e-vetting through Early Childhood Ireland (via the early years service) and the National Vetting Bureau of the Garda Síochána. Completed Garda vetting is necessary before any employee starts work in the early years’ service under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016. For more information on Garda vetting, please click here>>>

• Police vetting requirements for people who have lived outside of Ireland for more than six months. For more information on overseas Police clearance, please click here>>>

• The procedure used to deal with Garda Vetting Disclosures, including the documented decision-making process. Please click here for more in-depth guidelines>>>

• How often employees will be re-vetted
  The Early Years Quality and Regulatory Framework and best practice recommends that you have your employees re-vetted every three years. The re-vetting process is the same as the Garda vetting process and is a free service for all Early Childhood Ireland members.

• How you will retain and store employees garda vetting data in line with Data Protection Legislation and Tusla
  Click here to read The Early Years Quality and Regulatory Framework>>> 

• Links to related policies and relevant legislation ie. 

• Tusla: Quality Regulatory Framework
• Tusla Quality Regulatory Framework Policies and Templates
• Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
• Our Duty to Care: The Principles of Good Practice for the Protection of Children and Young People
• National Vetting Bureau, An Garda Síochana
• Early Childhood Ireland Garda Vetting
• National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012
• Children First Act, 2015

Date and Signature

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For any further information please click here or contact the Early Childhood Ireland Garda vetting team on 01 4057102.