Garda Vetting

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 - 2016 provides 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.

Garda vetting is conducted on behalf of registered organisations only and is not conducted for individual persons on a personal basis.

If you are seeking employment or intending to volunteer with an organisation which conducts relevant work, you may be asked to make an application to be vetted. You may make an application to be vetted in one of two ways:

  • E-vetting
  • Paper Application

Any work or activity which consists of the provision of educational, training, cultural, recreational, leisure, social or physical activities (whether or not for commercial or any other consideration) to children unless the provision of educational, training, cultural, recreational, leisure, social or physical activities is merely incidental to the provision of educational, training, cultural, recreational, leisure, social or physical activities to persons who are not children.

National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 – 2016 Schedule 1, Section 2, Part 1 - Relevant Work or Activities Relating to Children

Notification process:

Sport Ireland notifies the National Vetting Bureau when a National Governing Body is in a position to apply for registration with the Bureau and of the nominated person  in the organisation tasked to manage the process. The National Vetting Bureau then liaises with the nominated person in the NGB and the registration process is commenced.

On registration, Authorised Signatories are trained in the NGB in question and the Garda Vetting service is then extended to that Organisation. Each NGB is responsible for how they roll-out the vetting process within their organisation. Any club or individual inquiring about vetting procedures should contact their NGB.

Garda vetting of individuals can only be accessed through the National Governing Body.