A Garda vetting application authorises An Garda Síochána to furnish a statement to the applicant that there are no convictions recorded against her/him in the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere, or a statement of all convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, in the State or elsewhere as the case may be.
The new Garda Vetting system has been designed to strengthen and streamline compliance
processes to improve efficiencies for everyone.
Click on this for further information
The updates will affect how employers,
childminders, and employees apply for or renew their Garda Vetting applications.
Our priority is to safeguard children, keeping them safe in all settings throughout Ireland.
Starting from 1 February 2025, the following changes will take effect:
• Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) will manage Garda Vetting services for all early
learning and care, and school-age childcare employees.
• Tusla will manage Garda Vetting services for registered providers including
Chairpersons of Boards of Management.
• As part of these changes, Barnardos will no longer provide vetting services.
We are committed to supporting you throughout this period of change. It is vital that you
remain compliant with vetting requirements at all times.
If your current provider is Barnardos and you have employees, you will be required to apply
for a new Garda Vetting Affiliate Number for Early Childhood Ireland. We recommend that
you take a proactive approach in transferring to your new provider to be ready for the 1
February 2025 commencement date and in advance of when you might next need garda
vetting services.
Please contact the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNBV) at gnvb.registration@garda.ie to
progress your Affiliate Number application to ensure you have your new number to process
submissions through Early Childhood Ireland.
The process of obtaining a new affiliate number can take several weeks and you will have no
access to Garda vetting services during this period. It is therefore important to note that you
should only instigate a change in affiliate number when you have no vetting applications in
progress and do not anticipate you will need vetting. If a service expects to need vetting
between now and 31 January, you should wait until after completing your upcoming vetting
to proceed with changing affiliate number. It is ok to instigate a change in affiliate number
after 31 January.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your current provider or
contact your local City or County Childcare Committee. Further details and guidance will
follow in the coming weeks, including separate information in relation to Garda vetting for
childminders.
The service is free. However, if you have lived abroad for any period you will be required to submit information pertaining to the relevant jurisdiction with your application. Costs accrued regarding accessing that information will be borne by you.
Vetting takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks. This time will be extended in the event that insufficient or wrong information is included on the application.
See link below to new guidance document issued by TUSLA on Vetting for Students:
https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/CSR-GDE14.18_Guidance_on_Vetting_for_students_.pdf
Under the 2006 Childcare Pre-School Services Regulations, it is compulsory for all HSE notified Childminders – those minding four or more non-related pre-school children – and their employees/assistants to be Gárda vetted.
Yes. Simply complete the vetting form and sign it in the space marked Manager / owner.
If you are not required to notify your Childminding service to the HSE, you and other adults (18years and over), living in the family home can still apply for vetting.
A Garda Vetting webinar is now available below, from the National Child Safeguarding Programme website. More information can be found under the Early Learning and Care and School Aged Childcare section along with the supporting information.
A statement is returned to you from the Garda vetting unit with details any conviction/prosecutions. The Barnardos Vetting Service only refers a disclosure to the HSE where there is cause for concern in relation to the welfare of children.
It is important that you have a policy and procedure in place to deal with statements revealing conviction/prosecution, detailing the steps to be taken regarding safe guarding the children in your service and the penalties which may apply in such eventualities including dismissal. All assistants should receive a copy of this policy and procedure in the induction phase.
For the purposes of fair process, when developing your policy and procedure you must identify and list the type of convictions/prosecutions which make it inappropriate for the person to continue on in your childminding service. In the event of a disclosure and in the interest of fair process, you must adhere to the steps set out in the policy and procedure.
Note: Think broadly and outside the box when drafting the policy and procedure –what type of conviction/prosecution would make a person unsuitable to work directly with children in your service. Think too about time frames and the age of the person when the conviction was passed. Be fair and reasonable, but above all, think of the safety, protection and wellbeing of the children in your care.
Full details of the NVB Acts can be accessed at: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/act/47/enacted/en/print.html
© 2021 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Childcare Committee
