Volunteers and Garda vetting

1. Work out who needs to be vetted

Under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts, anyone in your group carrying out "relevant work" — work that involves access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults — must be Garda vetted before starting that role. This typically includes coaches, activity leaders, drivers who transport children, and anyone in regular unsupervised contact with young or vulnerable members. It generally does not extend to roles with no such contact, such as a Treasurer who never interacts directly with children.

2. Vet through a registered organisation

Individuals cannot apply for Garda vetting themselves for this purpose — it must be processed through an organisation registered with the National Vetting Bureau. For most community groups this means either registering your own group directly (a longer process, more suited to larger organisations), or vetting through an umbrella body or national governing body that already offers vetting to affiliated local groups — common for sports clubs and youth organisations affiliated to a national federation.

3. Don’t let a volunteer start before vetting clears

A volunteer in a relevant role must not begin unsupervised work with children or vulnerable adults until vetting has been completed and a satisfactory disclosure received — this is a legal requirement, not a matter of internal policy or convenience. Build the lead time (which can run to several weeks) into your recruitment planning, particularly ahead of a new season.

4. Keep a simple vetting record

Track who’s vetted, for which role, and when, in a basic spreadsheet accessible to whoever manages this in your group (often the Secretary or a designated Children’s Officer). Build re-vetting into your annual onboarding calendar — many national governing bodies recommend refreshing vetting roughly every three years, though check your specific body’s requirement.

5. Have a Child Safeguarding Statement if relevant

Groups providing services to children — sports, youth work, after-school or holiday activities — are generally required under the Children First Act 2015 to have a Child Safeguarding Statement: a written document that assesses the risk of harm to children in the group’s activities and sets out the procedures in place to manage that risk.

Tusla (the Child and Family Agency) publishes templates and step-by-step guidance to help volunteer-run groups produce one without needing legal assistance — most groups can complete a first version in a single committee session using the official template.

6. Appoint a Designated Liaison Person

Groups working with children are generally expected to name a Designated Liaison Person (DLP) — the point of contact for any child protection concern, responsible for liaising with Tusla if a concern is ever raised. This role, and who currently holds it, should be clearly stated in your Child Safeguarding Statement and known to all coaches and activity leaders, not just filed away.