Garda Vetting

Under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012-2016 it is mandatory for people working with children or vulnerable adults to be vetted by the Garda Síochána National Vetting Bureau.

The National Vetting Bureau of the Garda Síochána (formerly the Garda Central Vetting Unit) deals with requests to provide information on certain prospective employees or other workers. The Bureau carries out vetting for relevant organisation that are registered with it.

At the request of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), Barnardos is assisting in the processing of Garda Vetting applications for a number of groups/organisations who are not directly registered with the National Vetting Bureau (NVB). 

If you are not already registered with Barnardos, please contact us to establish if we will be able to assist your organisation/group with your vetting requirements.   

Organisations accessing vetting through Barnardos’ Vetting Service will then receive an Information Guidance Pack and the necessary forms to start the process.

What is the process?

1. Barnardos receives the invitation form (NVB1) and confirmation from the registered organisation that they have confirmed the applicant’s Identity.
2. Barnardos checks the paperwork and enters the details into the e-vetting system provided by the NVB.
3. Applicant will receive a link via email from donotreply@garda.ie inviting them to complete their application online
4. Applicant completes the online form.
5. Barnardos’ Vetting Service review the form on the e-vetting system before submitting it to the NVB for processing.
6. NVB completes their vetting checks and issues the results on the e-vetting system.
7. Barnardos print and post to the organisation who submitted the request.

How long does vetting take?

Currently the processing time is 4-6 weeks.

Reasons for delays

• 40% of requests have missing paperwork missing or forms that are filled in incorrectly
• Over 10% of vetting invitations expire without the applicant completing the online form due to incorrect email address being given on the application form

How to avoid delay

• Read the information pack provided carefully
• Use the checklist in the pack each time you forward a request for vetting
• Ensure email address is legible and correct

The applicant can track the progress of their application at every stage of the process.

Therefore, once the process is started, organisations are advised to keep in touch with the applicant to ensure that they have received an email from the NVB and they complete the online application without delay.  

Advice to applicants

1. The National Vetting Bureau and Barnardos do not deal directly with applicants for vetting.
2. Applicants with queries about the process should contact the organisation that has requested them to complete the Garda Vetting process.
3. Make sure your email address is legible and correct. If you have included numbers make sure they are clearly distinguishable from letters, e.g. the number zero (0) can easily be read as the letter O.
4. When completing the invitation form you must put a tick in the box beside your signature and you must include the date you signed the form. (Common mistakes include entering your year of birth beside your signature rather than the current year.).
5. When logging into the e-vetting system make sure you do not put a space at the end of your email address as this will give an “invalid email address” message.

If you have any queries when completing the online form, there is a user guide provided by the National Vetting Bureau on their website.