Jobs | Garda vetting for staff
Garda vetting
What is garda vetting and why is it needed?
The Garda vetting process checks if you have a criminal record, or any history that might pose a threat to vulnerable people. It's now a criminal offence for organisations to fail to carry out the necessary vetting of such employees, contractors and volunteers.
Context: The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 provides a legislative basis for the mandatory vetting for persons who wish to undertake relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable adults.
Policy: DCU's Garda Vetting Policy applies to staff of Dublin City University and does not extend to its campus companies.
Vetting of all new DCU staff, including research staff, hourly occasional staff and visitors, is mandatory (where relevant – see Definitions section below) and in advance of their proposed commencement date. If you're aware of any existing staff member or are about to recruit a new staff member who is currently or will be engaged in relevant work or activity with a child or vulnerable adult, please contact your DCU People Business Partner or staffvetting@dcu.ie to initiate the vetting process.
We will assess the relevance of the work and determine if vetting is required. New recruits who are undertaking ‘relevant’ roles cannot commence employment under any circumstances until they have successfully completed the vetting process via the National Vetting Bureau.
Section 20 of the Act provides for retrospective vetting and re-vetting of employees. Retrospective vetting of non-vetted existing staff (where required – see Definitions section below) was carried by the University by the stated deadline of 30th April 2018. As yet there is no timeline prescribed by the Minister with respect to the re-vetting of existing employees. While the University policy provides for re-vetting to be carried out every 5 years, we have commenced a re-vetting exercise based on every 3 years (as requested by the NVB) pending the enactment of legislation.
DCU has implemented an online e-Vetting process for staff in association with the National Vetting Bureau (NVB), which processes all applications. Please access the DCU Garda Vetting Procedure for full details.
Where an applicant to DCU has resided outside Ireland for a cumulative period of 36 months or more over the age of 18, a Foreign Police Clearance certificate must be presented. New Recruits must successfully complete the process within six months of their commencement date. Please access the DCU Foreign Police Clearance guideline for full details.
Details of the full vetting process are outlined in the University Sector Vetting Policy for Staff.
Summary of the key process changes (2017):
| Mandatory Vetting | All new staff (where relevant) cannot commence employment unless vetted. Offences for contravention. |
| Vetting Form |
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| Additional information required on Vetting Form |
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| Verification of identity | From now on the identity of the Applicant must be validated by the Relevant Organisation. Applicants will have to produce a number of documents to prove their identity to the Garda Liaison Person for staff from an agreed list before the NVB application can be processed see Vetting - Identity Check Declaration Form. |
| Relevant Work | Relevant Work or activities must be identified before the NVB application form can be processed. Any work or activity which is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults. |
| Filtering of offences | Vetting disclosure will be issued in respect of each person who is the subject of a vetting application. The Vetting disclosure will include: (a) Particulars of the criminal record (if any) relating to the person, and a statement of the specified information (if any) relating to the person which the Chief Bureau Officer has determined in accordance with Section 15 of the Act should be disclosed, Or (b) State that there is no criminal record or specified information, in relation to the person. |
| Re-vetting |
Following receipt of a vetting disclosure in respect of a person the University shall, after the expiration of such period as may be prescribed by the Minister, make a further application for a vetting disclosure for that person |
| Retrospective Vetting | All applications by 30th April 2018 – where the person has not previously been the subject to vetting and holds a position that has been identified by the University as ‘relevant’ in line with the policy/legislation. |
1. Relevant Work or Activities
- Any work or activity which is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults.
- Act does not apply where a person gives assistance on an occasional basis at a school, sports or community event or activity, other than where such assistance includes the coaching, mentoring, counselling, teaching or training of children or vulnerable persons.
Each relevant organisation will have to assess the positions involved in accordance with the Act.
2. Child/Vulnerable Adult
• A “child” means a person under the age of 18 years.
• A “vulnerable” person” means a person, other than a child, who
(a) is suffering from a disorder of the mind, whether as a result of mental illness or dementia,
(b) has an intellectual disability,
(c) is suffering from a physical impairment, whether as a result of injury, illness or age, or
(d) has a physical disability, which is of such a nature or degree as to restrict the capacity of the person to guard himself or herself against harm by another person, or that results in the person requiring assistance with the activities of daily living including dressing, eating, walking, washing and bathing.)
- NVB1 Form (National Vetting Bureau Invitation Form)
- NVB3 Form (National Vetting Bureau Parent / Guardian Consent Form - under 18s)
- Identity Check Declaration Form
All queries regarding Garda Vetting should be directed to staffvetting@dcu.ie
Garda Vetting Administrator Grasielle Pucci telephone: 01 700 8252
Garda Vetting Liaison Irene Murphy telephone: 01 700 5488