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Garda Vetting – FAQ

Garda Vetting – FAQ

Garda Vetting

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a Service Provider or Organisation Member of Early Childhood Ireland, you can avail of our vetting service free of charge. 

Full details on how to apply are available here

A link will be emailed to the applicant where they will complete all other information required by the National Vetting Bureau.

You can track the Garda Vetting application by entering the applicant’s ECI001-2022***  reference number and their date of birth into the National Vetting Bureau website .

Make sure there are no spaces put in before or after the application ID number as it may not work.


No, the vetting results will be emailed as a PDF to the email address registered with Early Childhood Ireland. If you wish to change this email address please contact our office. You will require an up to date version of Adobe to open the PDF.

Click here to download Adobe Reader: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Parents who go on outings with the pre-school service do not require Garda Vetting as they should only have access to their own children.

The majority of Garda vetting applications take five to ten working days to be processed. This is from when the applicant completes the link from the National Vetting Bureau. Twenty per cent of applications go for further checks and take longer.

Vetting is valid for 3 years. Re-vetting should take place after 3 years.

The Garda National Vetting Bureau are only accepting vetting applications for the board of directors and certain ancillary staff who are considered to have necessary and regular contact with children.

If members of the board of management or ancillary staff have regular and necessary contact with children, and are refused vetting, they should not be allowed to carry out their duties when children are present.

Services who can demonstrate and evidence that they have followed the steps above, will not be found on their inspection reports as either compliant or non-compliant when they apply for registration or in a context of on-going inspection. The following statement will be made on their inspection report. “The registered provider has evidenced that they made reasonable efforts to meet vetting requirements within existing state legislation for their boards of directors and certain ancillary staff. Appropriate risk management measures are found to have been implemented.”

A new Compliance Unit has been established in the Garda National Vetting Bureau, to ensure that statutory, voluntary and community organisations are adhering to their statutory obligations.

One of these obligations is to only vet those who carry out relevant work.
This consists of any work or activity carried out by a person in which a necessary and/or regular part consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons.

Evidence of unsuccessful applications for vetting must be kept on file for examination by the Tusla Inspectorate.

Garda vetting is not required for such visitors who are sharing their skills/expertise with the children in the pre-school service. These visitors are under the supervision of the staff and should not have unsupervised access to the children.

You have been asked for Garda vetting because you will be working with children, or you will be carrying out work in which a necessary and/or regular part consists of you having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons.

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 provide a statutory basis for the vetting of persons carrying out relevant work with children or vulnerable persons. The Act also creates offences and penalties for persons who fail to comply with its provisions.

The Act stipulates that a relevant organisation shall not permit any person to undertake relevant work or activities on behalf of the organisation, unless the organisation receives a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau in respect of that person.

An employer may choose to withdraw the offer of a position if a candidate declines to comply with this process.

Garda vetting is only given for a specific employment so when a person is changing employment they must apply for Garda Vetting as it is non-transferrable.

There is no fee for service provider or organisation members

Your information will be dealt with by the designated staff personnel in Early Childhood Ireland and by the relevant personnel in the Garda Vetting Bureau.

Early Childhood Ireland is a registered body with designated staff personnel, trained by the Garda Central Vetting Unit and who have been Garda vetted themselves.

Early Childhood Ireland is working in the interest of safe environments and practices for children and adults and is committed to the highest standards of security and confidentiality.

Information will only be given to authorised personnel.

A disclosure is a completed Garda vetting application. Some people are alarmed when they hear the word ‘disclosure’ but it is simply the terminology used by the National Vetting Bureau, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything to disclose.

‘A vetting disclosure shall include particulars of the criminal record (if any) relating to the person, and a statement of the specified information (if any) relating to the person or a statement that there is no criminal record or specified information, in relation to the person.’ Read more >>

The Garda vetting disclosure that is sent regarding an applicant, is in both Irish and English.

Garda Vetting is required for transition year students under the age of 18*.

*Transition year students under the age of 16 cannot be Garda Vetted

The Early Years and School Age Care service will need to the following documents:

  1. Parent Guardian Consent Form
  • The parent/guardian must complete this form
  • The parent/guardian must sign and date their consent
  1. Under18 Vetting Invitation Form
  • Please ensure this form is completed fully and is legible 
  • The parent/guardian must supply their own email address and phone number on the Vetting Invitation NVB1 Form [not the child’s email address and phone number]
  1. Two Written references

Prior to the decision by the registered provider to facilitate transition year student placements, it is imperative that at least two references from reputable persons are sought in writing.

  • All references are to be from someone who has firsthand knowledge and experience of the student
  • One reference can be from the school that the student attends
  • The second reference can be from the previous employment or work experience or from any independent person in the community.
  • All references must be confirmed and checked by the Early Years and School Age Care service

An important point with regard to transition year students:

  • Transition year students must not be left unsupervised with any child in an Early Years and School Age Care service
  • Transition year students must be accompanied by a suitable qualified staff member at all times
  • Transition year students cannot supervise children in an Early Years and School Age Care service
  • Transition year students cannot be regarded as staff or considered as part of the adult/child ratio. They cannot be treated as staff: they are supernumerary.

The employer needs to get two forms of identification from the applicant – photo identification and one form of proof of address. Acceptable identification is listed on the NVB1 Vetting Invitation Form and are listed here:

Types of documents that can be used for Photo Identification:

  • Irish Driving Licence or learner permit (new credit card format)
  • Irish Medical card (with photograph)
  • Passport (from country of citizenship)
  • Irish certificate of naturalisation
  • Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card
  • National Identity Card for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
  • Employment ID card issued by employer (name and photograph)
  • National age card issued by An Garda Siochana
  • Membership cards from- Club, union or trade, professional bodies/ Education institution 

Types of documents that can be used to verify identity address:

  • Driving licence
  • Letter from employer (within last two years): Confirming name and address
  • Bank/Building Society/Credit Union statement
  • P60, P45 or Payslip (with home address)
  • Utility bill e.g. gas, electricity, television, broadband (must not be less than 6 months old. Printed online bills are acceptable. Mobile phone bills are not acceptable)
  • Correspondence from any of the following:
    • an education institution/SUSI/CAO
    • an insurance company regarding an active policy
    • a bank/credit union or government body or state agency 

Types of documents that can be used to verify identity and address:

  • Irish Driving Licence (new credit card format)
  • Employment ID card issued by employer (with name, photo and address) 

A copy of proof of current address and photo id must be seen by an employer for each applicant and retained securely in the employee file.

Yes, if you have international students (aged over 16 years) coming to your early learning and care or school age childcare setting in Ireland, they will need to be vetted by the Irish National Vetting Bureau through YOU -the registered provider, using the usual procedure with Early Childhood Ireland. You will need to allow time to have their vetting organised before they can come into your setting i.e. start the process at least a month to 8 weeks beforehand.

The international students will also need to send you a copy of their Police Clearance Certification for all international addresses that they have lived at for longer than 6 months (once they were over the age of 18 years) before they start their placement in your service. 

Please see the section below on ‘How to apply for Overseas Police Clearance’

Parents or guardians of 16-18 year olds are required to complete the Parent Guardian Consent Form

The parent or guardian must supply their own email address and phone number on the Vetting Invitation NVB1 Form and not the child’s email address. The Under 18 Vetting Invitation Form makes this clear.

Under the Childcare Regulations 2016 and the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 all childcare staff need to be Garda vetted prior to commencing employment and ‘in so far as is practicable, where a person has lived in a state other than the State for a period of longer than 6 consecutive months, vetting information in respect of the person obtained from the police authorities in that state’.

The Garda vetting processed in Early Childhood Ireland only covers addresses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  If you hire an employee from another country or you are hiring an Irish employee who has resided in countries outside of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for a period of 6 months or more, it is mandatory for them to obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from those countries stating that they have no convictions recorded against them while residing there. A Police Clearance Certificate is required for each country the applicant has resided in. Clearance must be dated after the date the applicant left the country/countries.  This should all be done PRIOR to the person commencing employment in the childcare service.

The following websites may be of assistance to you:

United Kingdom:

Australia:

  • This website will provide you with information on obtaining a national police clearance certificate for Australia.

     www.afp.gov.au

New Zealand:

Spain:

Poland:

United States of America:

  • Please note that valid Security/Overseas Clearance from the USA must be obtained from the FBI only.

    FBI Clearance is valid for all of the United States and convictions / remarks occurring anywhere in the United States would be noted.

    Organisation or Body: FBI background check
    Website: Rap Sheets (Identity History Summary Checks) — FBI
    Full details on the website or apply to:
    FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services Division
    Attention: SCU, Mod D-2
    1000 Custer Hollow Road
    Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306
    USA

Ukraine:

Other Countries:

  • For other countries not listed above you may find it helpful to contact the relevant embassies who could provide you with information on seeking Police Clearance.

    Note: Any costs incurred in this process will be borne by the applicant.

The GNVB number is part of the process to confirm good governance and compliance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016 to ensure that only persons conducting relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable adults are legally vetted under the Act. 

 

Each early learning and care and after school setting will need their own unique GNVB Affiliate Registration Number, even if you have been processing Garda vetting applications through us in the past.

1. Please email the Garda vetting bureau at GNVB.Registation@garda.ie requesting a  GNVB Affiliate Registration Number and giving the following information:

  • Early Childhood Ireland Membership Number
  • Name and address of your early learning or school age setting
  • Main contact person
  • The nature of your business e.g. early learning and care setting or school age childcare setting
    *Multiple Services – This process must be completed for each individual membership number as each service needs their own GNVB Affiliate Registration Number.

2. The Garda Vetting Bureau will then post you an application form which you fill in and return to them.

3. Once you have completed and sent them back the form, they will then issue you with your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number. This could take up to 2 weeks.

4. When you receive your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number please email us with the front and back pages of the GNVB letter to cdaly@earlychildhoodireland.ie.

5. Once you have emailed us with your GNVB Affiliate Registration Number you can then proceed with the Garda Vetting process.

No, it is the accepted practice that colleges, as the relevant organisation, apply for the Garda vetting disclosure prior to placement. Prior to any placement the college must allow the ELC or SAC setting consideration of the vetting disclosures received by the college from the National Vetting Bureau in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2021 (No. 47 of 2012).

Early Childhood Ireland service provider members can apply for vetting for students through their service. The student must be over 16 years of age. 

There is a special Under 18s Vetting- Invitation Form for applicants aged 16 to 18 years and a Parent Guardian Consent Form must also be filled out.

If a student has either lived or worked abroad they must have a police vetting certificate. This specific information will allow the person carrying on an early years setting to make informed decisions with regard to any placement.