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Garda Vetting is the process by which the Gardaí disclose details regarding prosecutions and convictions against an individual, with their consent, to a prospective employer or organisation they wish to volunteer with. If you want to volunteer with children, young people or vulnerable adults, then as well as references, you will probably be asked to allow the organisation to check that you do not have any criminal convictions that would stop you being allowed to do this type of volunteering.
You should not be discouraged if an organisation requires you to be Garda Vetted. It represents best practice and shows that the organisation cares for its clients and volunteers. Remember too that prosecutions and convictions do not necessarily preclude you from volunteering. Depending on demand, it can take a long time for an organisation to obtain Garda Vetting on an individual so you may need to be patient. Organisations sometimes devise volunteering roles for individuals awaiting Garda Vetting.
Vetting obtained for a college course, work requirement or a previous volunteering opportunity is not sufficient when beginning a new volunteer role. Organisations or roles that require Garda Vetting will require you to complete a separate Garda Vetting form and go through the process with them, even if you have been Garda Vetted previously.
You cannot get ’clearance’ from your local Garda station before you go to an organisation to volunteer. The correct procedure for obtaining Garda Vetting is to receive the relevant forms from the organisation you are applying to volunteer with. Once you have completed the forms, you then return to the orgnaisation that you are applying to volunteer with and they will begin the process by sending the forms to the Garda Central Vetting Unit. If you have volunteered or worked overseas, the organisation may seek information about your time spent abroad. The organisation will be able to inform you of their specific requirements.
If you do have a criminal record and you are worried that this might affect the type of volunteering you will be able to do, then talk with a member of staff at the Volunteer Centre, in complete confidence, about this. As part of the services they provide to volunteer-involving organisations, Volunteer Centres provide a Garda Vetting service to local voluntary organisations who do not have access to an authorised signatory within their own organisation. If you would like to know more about this service, please contact your local Volunteer Centre
Check out the Garda website here in relation to vetting.
