Garda Vetting
Garda Vetting
Page updated 14 April 2023
Following the commencement of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 on the 29th of April 2016, UCD must ensure that Garda Vetting is conducted for any staff members with access to children and/or vulnerable adults as a necessary and regular part of their employment/engagement. Garda Vetting must be completed prior to the staff member starting in their post. This requirement includes short term appointments and casual staff.
For any new hourly paid staff members, hiring managers need to consider whether the role the claimant will be doing requires Garda Vetting. To determine this, please consult the Garda Vetting Policy for Staff on the UCD HR website or speak to a member of the Resourcing Team. Garda Vetting in UCD lasts 3 years, however the University reserves the right to request any employee/third party to undergo vetting/police clearance at any time in their employment/engagement but in any event at appropriate intervals or such shorter periods as may be prescribed under the Act or as may be deemed appropriate by the University.
Garda Vetting between organisations is non-transferrable (exceptions are made if a sharing agreement in place between UCD and the organisation).
Queries on Garda Vetting should be directed to (opens in a new window)staffvetting@ucd.ie
Further information:
Is Garda vetting required?
Mandatory Garda Vetting procedures apply to staff with access to children and/or vulnerable adults as a necessary and regular part of their employment/engagement.
In order to process Garda Vetting requests, the School/Unit will require to demonstrate how the individual within the role will be in a position that requires them to interact with children and/or vulnerable adults as a necessary and regular part of their employment/engagement.
If contact with either is merely incidental and not a core part of the role it is likely that vetting is not required and Garda Vetting Unit will reject the request for vetting.
Consider the following issues before completing the form below. If you feel that Garda Vetting should be mandatory, but the issues below don't apply then please provide any additional points in relation to the role at the end of the form.
The UCD Garda Vetting Policy can be found here in the Governance Library. Any queries can be directed at your Resourcing Consultant.
- Will the Role require the individual to be engaged in any work or activity which consists mainly of the individual having access to, or contact with, children and or vulnerable persons as a necessary and regular part of the role?
- Will the Role require the individual to be engaged in any work or activity which consists of treatment, therapy or counselling provided to a child or vulnerable person as a necessary and regular part of the role?
- Will the Role require the individual to be engaged in any work or activity which consists of the provision of advice, guidance, developmental, or counselling services, to children/vulnerable persons unless the provision of the advice, guidance, developmental or counselling service is merely incidental to the provision of those services to persons who are not children/vulnerable persons?
- Will the role require any work or activity which consists of the care (including the provision of health and personal social services and essential domestic services) of vulnerable persons unless the care is merely incidental to the care of persons who are not vulnerable persons as a necessary and regular part of the role?
- Will the role require any research work or activities (howsoever described) carried out the university where a necessary and regular part of the research work or activity involves contact with or access to children / vulnerable persons?
- Will the role require any outreach activities carried out by the individual a necessary and regular part of their employment (not occasional activities) which involves contact with or access to children / vulnerable persons?
If the answer is “Yes” to any of the above questions then you should consider the frequency of the activity to help make a decision in relation to vetting.
Please note there is a new online process for Garda Vetting. If Garda Vetting is required please email (opens in a new window)staffvetting@ucd.ie to commence the process and book a time slot to verify your identification in person.
If you have answered "Yes" to any of the above questions and detailed the frequency of the planned work, please email (opens in a new window)staffvetting@ucd.ie to commence the process.
Queries on Garda Vetting should be directed to (opens in a new window)staffvetting@ucd.ie