Introduction to Garda Vetting

Information on New Vetting Legislation (30 June 2016)

The National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 commenced on the 29^th April 2016.  The purpose of this Act is to provide a legislative basis for vetting. 

The Garda Central Vetting Unit will now be known as the National Vetting Bureau (NVB).

It is against the law for people to work with children or vulnerable adults unless they have been vetted.

The process by which people apply for vetting has been changed. From now on, applications will be submitted electronically in a process known as e-vetting.  Please do not submit any more paper vetting forms.  The National Vetting Bureau is no longer accepting paper applications from the Diocese and any paper forms submitted to the Diocesan office from now on will be returned to you unprocessed. 

Process

Please see attached Vetting Invitation (NVB 1) form.  This should be filled in by the applicant and section 1 and 2 completed.   Please ensure the form is completed fully and clearly.  Section 3 is to be completed by the Parish Priest on behalf of the organisation requesting the vetting (parish/school/diocesan agency). At this point in the process the identity of the applicant (see below) must be validated.

The Parish then post the original Invitation Form to Diocesan Vetting office and keep a copy for their files.  The applicant will then receive an email from NVB with their online application form (NVB 2).  If they do not complete this within 30 days the form becomes invalid and they will have to reapply.  At present the e-vetting process is taking 3-4 working days to complete.

Please note the Vetting Form (NVB 2) is only issued to the applicant themselves.  The organisation (parish/school/diocesan agency) will no longer have access to these forms. 

Email

The applicant must provide a valid email address.  If the applicant does not have their own email address they can provide any email that they are happy for their form to be sent to.  This can be the email of a friend or family member or one can be provided for them by the organisation requesting the vetting. 

The organisation requesting the vetting must also provide an email to be notified of the completion of the vetting.  This should not be a public email as sensitive information will be sent to it. It may be advisable to set up a vetting email address to be used for this purpose only.  

If the applicant does not have access to an electronic device one should be provided for them for the purpose of completing their application.  Staff in Citizen Information Centres and public libraries have also been briefed on the e-vetting process and can provide assistance and access to computers for applicants. 

Proof of Identity

At least two forms of identification must be produced to validate the identity of the applicant when completing the application.  One of these should be photographic where possible.  There is a points system for the verification of identity where 100 points must be reached.  Different forms of identification are weighted with a sliding scale of points (see below).  Where an individual cannot reach 100 points an affidavit witnessed by a Commissioner for Oaths will suffice.  The identity is verified locally (that is, by the parish, school or diocesan agency) and copies of identity are retained locally.  Do not send proof of identity to this office unless requested. 

Relevant Work

It is now against the law to commence ‘relevant work’, that is, work that involves contact with children or vulnerable persons without first being vetted.  Please provide a full description of the role being applied for on the Invitation Form.  It is not sufficient to state ‘volunteer’.  The role must be specified, such as, ‘Eucharistic Minister’ or ‘Leader of Children’s Choir’.  If the applicant carries out multiple roles you should state the one that involves most contact with children or vulnerable adults.  

Minors

The legislation is directed at applicants aged 18 years or over at date of signing the form. However applications can be made for those aged 16 and 17 when a parental / guardian consent form is also completed (NVB 3).  The decision to vet minors is a policy issue and must be made by the individual organisation.  In this case proof of identity must also be obtained for the parent / guardian.  

Re-Vetting

The legislation does not state how often a person should be re-vetted.  The NVB recommend anywhere from 1-5 years depending on the nature of the work.  Dublin Diocese has a 3year re-vetting policy.  

Proof of Identity

At least two forms of identification must be produced to validate the identity of the applicant when completing the application.  One of these should be photographic where possible.  There is a points system for the verification of identity where 100 points must be reached.  Different forms of identification are weighted with a sliding scale of points (see below).  Where an individual cannot reach 100 points an affidavit witnessed by a Commissioner for Oaths will suffice.  The National Vetting Bureau requires that copies of all proof of identity are retained for the validity of the vetting.  This means if the vetting lasts 3 years then copies of these documents must also be kept for 3 years.