Garda Vetting

A Garda vetting application authorises An Garda Síochána to furnish a statement to the applicant (i.e. the Childminder, who has applied for vetting as the owner of the Childminding Service) that there are no convictions recorded against her in the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere, or a statement of all convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, in the State or elsewhere as the case may be.

Starting from 1 February 2025, the following changes will take effect:

 • Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) will manage Garda Vetting services for all early learning and care, and school-age childcare employees. 

• Tusla will manage Garda Vetting services for registered providers including Chairpersons of Boards of Management. 

• As part of these changes, Barnardos will no longer provide vetting services. 

We are committed to supporting you throughout this period of change. It is vital that you remain compliant with vetting requirements at all times.

The service is free. However, if you have lived abroad for any period you will be required to submit information pertaining to the relevant jurisdiction with your application. Costs accrued regarding accessing that information will be borne by you.

Vetting takes approximately 8 weeks. This time will be extended in the event that insufficient or wrong information is included on the application.

If your current provider is Barnardos and you have employees, you will be required to apply for a new Garda Vetting Affiliate Number for Early Childhood Ireland. We recommend that you take a proactive approach in transferring to your new provider to be ready for the 1 February 2025 commencement date and in advance of when you might next need garda vetting services. 

Please contact the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNBV) at gnvb.registration@garda.ie to progress your Affiliate Number application to ensure you have your new number to process submissions through Early Childhood Ireland. 

The process of obtaining a new affiliate number can take several weeks and you will have no access to Garda vetting services during this period. It is therefore important to note that you should only instigate a change in affiliate number when you have no vetting applications in progress and do not anticipate you will need vetting. 

If a service expects to need vetting between now and 31 January, you should wait until after completing your upcoming vetting to proceed with changing affiliate number. It is ok to instigate a change in affiliate number after 31 January.

All Tusla registered Childminders must have Garda Vetting, but best practice would indicate that all Childminders and their emergency backup contact should be Garda Vetted.

Yes. Simply complete the vetting form and sign it in the space marked Manager / owner. If you are not required to notify your childminding service to Tusla, you and other adults (18years and over), living in the family home can still apply for vetting.

A statement is returned to you from the Garda vetting unit with details any conviction/prosecutions. The Barnardos Vetting Service only refers a disclosure to the Tusla where there is cause for concern in relation to the welfare of children.