Garda Vetting – Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Child Protection Checks

From 7th July 2025, the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB), in line with EU Directive 2011/93/EU, introduced additional child protection checks along with the other 26 EU member countries and the UK for sexual offences against children when processing vetting applications. These additional checks are designed to strengthen the protection of children and will only apply to individuals who have resided in another EU member state or theUK.

  • If an applicant has a UK address in their background their application will take a further 20 days to complete.

    If an applicant has another EU address in their background their application will take a further 10 days to complete.

    New turnaround times are in line with established EU/UK policy and are outside the control of the GNVB and ACCS.

  • 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.

  • Non-teaching staff - Examples

    • PME student teachers

    • Foreign language assistants

    • Special Needs Assistants

    • Chaplains

    • Clerical Officers

    • Caretakers

    • Cleaners

    • Bus Escorts

    • External supervisors

    • Coaches (on a regular basis)

    • Mentors

    • Paid and unpaid volunteers (regular basis)

    • Contractors (working throughout the school during the school day)

    • Host families of students participating in school exchange programs

Transition Year, LCA students

  • Yes, all students over the age of 16 engaged in work experience which involves relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable adults should be vetted.

  • No.

  • Yes, if the organisation is willing to accept them but they will not be vetted.


  • They will need to produce a Birth Certificate and a vetting confirmation letter from the Principal stating the students name and address.

    Strict Adherence: Only the documents listed are acceptable

ID and Proof of Address Documentation

 

  • Yes

  • The onus is on the applicant to fulfil the criteria. If they do not have any documentation, they must go to an ACCS nominated solicitor and swear an affidavit that they are who they say they are.

  • The onus is on your school to vet them, not the school that they are going to for their work placement.

  • The ID data you have on the TY student is the data that you have anyway, e.g. their birth cert, so you are keeping it for other purposes. The disclosure needs to be retained for the lifetime of the placement.

  • No, the students bring in their documents based on the fact that you are aware of the student and that they are regularly attending your school.

  • Yes. You need a recent document showing proof of address, such as a utility bill from within the last 6 months.

  • Redacted versions protecting bank account numbers are acceptable.

  • If students are assisting at state exams in their own school, then there is no requirement for them to be vetted. If a student is assisting at state exams in another school, then that school should have them vetted.

Host Families

  • All family members over the age of 16 in the host family home are required to be vetted.

  • No, you can’t assume that all agencies do.

  • Yes.

  • No, the school is not responsible for vetting in this case. If the arrangement is made privately between the two families, and no agency or school involvement is in place, the responsibility for vetting does not fall to the school.

  • As part of the school’s risk assessment of exchange programmes, school management will seek clarification from partner schools abroad/local exchange agencies that checks have been carried out to ensure the suitability of host families that students will reside with abroad.

Board members

  • No. Not unless they are carrying out any work or activities where they have necessary and regular access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons.

Guest Speakers/Coaches

  • One off guest speakers or coaches do not need to be vetted. They should always be in the presence of a vetted teacher for the duration of their visit

Sharing of Disclosures

Student Teachers and Sports Coaches

Student teachers (PME students) and sports coaches are vetted through the school’s management body, unless these individuals/persons have been vetted by the Vetting Bureau through their college, sporting organisations or the person’s employer.

  • Yes, they must provide a copy of their disclosure. It should only be accepted if it is within a calendar year. The school should also ensure that a Joint Written Agreement is in place with the college/university/sporting organisation/employer. This is available on the ACCS website.

  • If their college has vetted them within the last year then the school can accept them. The PME student must produce their disclosure in person, and they must also sign the declaration and the Joint Template Agreement. Schools can request that they are vetted through ACCS.

  • No. The application goes to the relevant organisation (ACCS). ACCS will review the application and submit it to the National Vetting Bureau.

  • Upon completion of the application the Principal is emailed a copy of the disclosure.

  • The school should, as soon as practicable, make available a copy of the vetting disclosure to the applicant.

  • Item description

    You will need to keep;

    1. The NVB1/NVB3 form

    2. Proof of Address documentation

    3. Proof of I.D. documentation

    4. The checklist

  • The hard copies should be filed in a secure location for 6 months following the application. After 6 months you can scan the documents and keep them on file. You may then shred the original documentation. You will need to keep a record for the duration of the vet. For further guidance you can access our Data and Retention Policy on our website.

Other

  • Yes, it would be prudent to have them vetted.

  • An assessment should be carried out by the school on how much interaction the builders/construction staff have with the main life of the school and how much, if any, contact they have or potentially could have with the students.

Positive Disclosures

  • ACCS will contact the Principal of the school to inform them that a positive disclosure is being emailed to them. The Principal is authorised by the Board of Management, except for a disclosure of ‘specified information’, to determine if the outcome of the vetting of a candidate is satisfactory or not. Refer to the ACCS Template Garda Vetting Policy for further information on dealing with a disclosure and offences.

Re-Vetting

  • The Teaching Council undertakes the re-vetting of all qualified registered teachers on a three-year cycle. For all other non-teaching staff there is no legislative requirement at present. Best practice is every three years.

  • No. 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. A person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

An updated ACCS Garda Vetting Template Policy is now available from the ACCS Website

For further information visit www.accs.ie or contact Paula Dromgoole