Garda Vetting and Safeguarding / Grinnfhiosrú Gardaí agus Caomhnú Páistí
Our Club Children’s Officer Team oversees the implementation of Garda Vetting and Child Safeguarding within the club in accordance with the GAA Code of Behaviour (Underage).
Who needs Garda Vetting and Child Safeguarding / Cé ar gá dóibh Grinnfhiosrú agus Caomhnú Páistí a dhéanamh?
In the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association, any person who carries out a role of responsibility such as coaching, managing or training underage teams that includes any player under 18 years of age must be vetted and safeguarded (Legal Requirement). It also applies to organising underage activities or refereeing underage games, FLOs and roles such as club officers and photographers of children’s games.
Cuala policy is that all coaches and mentors on adult teams must be vetted and safeguarded due to juvenile members playing up to adult teams.
Garda Vetting Procedure / Grinnfhiosrú Gardaí (Nós Imeachta)
The Garda Vetting System involves application through the Foireann GAA membership platform and includes face-to-face ID Validation with the Club Children’s Officer (CCO) to confirm applicant’s identity.
The steps are briefly outlined below. Click on the ‘GAA Garda Vetting’ button below for further information.
Please note: Only those over the age of 16 can apply for Garda Vetting. For those under 18 years of age, parents are requested to follow the specific instructions provided.
Step 1 - Check for the Next ‘Document Validation’ Date on the Event Calendar
Step 1: Check the Events Calendar for the next ‘Document Validation’ session with the Club’s Children’s Officer
The Garda Vetting system involves a face-to-face Document Validation with the Club Children’s Officer (CCO) to confirm applicant’s identity. For applicants under the age of 18, a parent/guardian must also attend this appointment.
Please check the club event calendar for the next available date. (If no sessions are visible please check back shortly for updates).
Prior to attending the session, please proceed to Step 2 to apply to be vetted on Foireann and prepare your documents for your validation appointment.
Step 2 - Apply to be Vetted and Download NVB1 on Foireann
Step 2: Apply to be Vetted and Download NVB1 Form on Foireann
Applications for Garda vetting are managed through the Foireann GAA membership platform. The NVB1 Vetting Invite Form needs to be downloaded from your Foireann profile and brought to your Validation Meeting with the Club Children’s Officer along with accepted photo ID and proof of address documents. To do this please follow the steps below:
- Log in to your account on Foireann. If you do not have an account you will need to create one.
- Once logged into your Foireann account, go to your Profile.
- Click on the ‘Qualifications and Vetting‘ tab in the top menu bar
- Scroll down and click ‘Apply to be Vetted‘. (Note: You must have a date of birth listed on your account to apply to be vetted).
- Select your Club and/or association under which you wish to be vetted and the Role you are applying for vetting.
- Click on ‘Upload your Documents’
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In ‘Section 1‘ Click ‘Download NVB1 Vetting Invite Form’.
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This downloaded form will be pre-populated with your ‘Profile’ detail
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CHECK that the information matches the details on the documents that you will use for ‘Photo ID’ & ‘Proof of Address’. See accepted forms of these documents here. Note that differences between the NVB1 from and your photo ID and Proof of Address documents, such as the use of a maiden vs married surname or English vs Irish name will not be accepted. If any information on the NVB1 form is incorrect return to your Profile, update it and re-download the NVB1 form.
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The NVB1 form needs a ‘wet signature‘ i.e. a physical signature, electronic signatures cannot be accepted.
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Download and print the form.
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At the top right-hand side of the NVB1 Form you will need to fill in your Foireann Registration number (found under your name on your Foireann Profile page)
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You can sign the form at your ‘Document Validation’ meeting with the Children’s Officer.
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- In ‘Section 2‘ there is no need to download the ID Validation Form. The Children’s Officer will provide and complete this form with you at your scheduled document validation meeting.
- Parents/guardians of applicants under the age of 18 should also download and complete the National Garda Vetting Bureau Parental Consent Form found here.
Proceed to instructions for attending your Document Validation Appointment outlined in Step 3.
Step 3 - Attend the Document Validation Session with the Club Children’s Officer
Step 3: Attend the Document Validation Session with the Club Children’s Officer
- Bring the following documents with you when you attend your scheduled document validation appointment with the Club Children’s Officer. PLEASE NOTE:
- A parent/guardian must attend along with anyone under the age of 18 who is making an application for vetting.
- Please be prepared to queue while our club volunteers work as quickly as possible to complete the validations.
- FAILURE TO HAVE CORRECT DOCUMENTS READY WILL SLOW DOWN THE VALIDATION PROCESS AND YOU MAY HAVE TO RETURN AT A LATER DATE.
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- NVB1 Vetting Invite Form (populated and downloaded from Foireann in Step 2)
- Original Photo ID and copy of this document (for list of accepted ID and proof of address documents see here)
- Original Proof of Address document and copy of this document (for list of accepted ID and proof of address documents see here)
- National Garda Vetting Bureau Parental Consent Form (only for applicants under 18 years of age)
- The original NVB1 form, completed ID Validation form (provided by Children’s Officer) and copies of your Photo ID and Proof of Address documents will be kept by the Children’s Officer and securely filed for National Garda Vetting Bureau / GAA compliance checks for a period of 6 months, after which time they will be shredded.
- Copies of the completed NVB1 Form and the ID Validation Form can either be scanned or photographed at the meeting for subsequent uploading to Foireann by the applicant.
After your validation appointment, proceed to upload your documents to Foireann to complete your vetting application as outlined in Step 4.
Step 4 - Upload your Documents to Foireann
Step 5 - Complete the Garda National Vetting Bureau eVetting Process
Step 5 – Complete the Garda National Vetting Bureau eVetting Process
- Once you complete the GAA NVB1 Invitation Form the information provided is forwarded to the NVB by the GAA.
- You will receive an email to your email address on your Foireann profile with NVB Vetting Invitation to complete (please be vigilant for this email)
- Complete this invitation immediately as it expired after 30 days and the process will have to recommence. Include all details requested.
- You will be kept informed of the status of your application by email. You and your Club Children’s Officer will be notified when the vetting process has been completed.
- Vetting is for a three-year period and must be renewed every 3 years.
Child Safeguarding Procedure / Caomhnú Páistí (Nós Imeachta)
Anyone working around children in a Gaelic Games setting must complete a Child Safeguarding course every 3 years.
Face-to-Face Safeguarding Workshops
Face-to-face workshops take place several times a year. Please view our events calendar (Events (cualagaa.ie)) and keep an eye on our communication channels (newsletter, website news) for upcoming safeguarding courses. Registration is via an online form.
To be certified for the Safeguarding course you will first need to register with Tobar (https://learning.gaa.ie/user/register), the online Gaelic Games Learning Portal. You will be sent a link to enrol on the course via this platform. This is essential to receive your certificate. The course itself takes approximately 2 hours.
Please note: Participants must be at least 16 years of age in order to attend a Safeguarding Training workshop.
Online Refresher Course
A Gaelic Games online refresher programme can be completed if:
- You have a valid Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 certificate delivered by a qualified Gaelic Games
tutor dated within the last 3 years
or - You have a valid Safeguarding 1 Sport Ireland or Sport Northern Ireland certificate dated within
the last 3 years
Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 Online Refresher certificates may only be renewed by attendance at
a Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 3-hour workshop with a qualified Gaelic Games tutor.
Link for e-learning module; https://learning.gaa.ie/node/283509
Please note: Anyone under the age of 18 is not permitted to attend an online child safeguarding course and must attend in-person training.
What happens next?
Once you have registered on Tobar and attended the course your Safeguarding certificate will be issued.
You must connect your ‘Tobar’ account to your ‘Foireann’ profile to enable your certification to appear in the ‘Qualifications and Vetting’ section of your ‘Foireann’ profile. To do this click on the green button on the top of the page in Tobar that says ‘Foireann Connect’. If this button is not visible then the accounts are already synced. Find out more on this here.
Your Child Safeguarding Certification is valid for 3 years.
FAQ’s / Ceisteanna Coitianta
I have Garda vetting and/or Child Safeguarding at another institution, will that suffice for Cuala?
- Vetting must be processed via Cuala GAC.
- If a member has Sport Ireland Safeguarding Certification such as attendance at an LSP or other Sports NGB’s safeguarding training the member must complete the Gaelic Games Online Safeguarding Refresher prior to commencing their role.
My Garda Vetting and/or Safeguarding has not been issued yet/has lapsed, can I commence/continue to work with children while awaiting acceptance/renewal?
No, a person must be in receipt of a vetting acceptance letter and in-date safeguarding cert before commencing/continuing in their role.
I am working with children in multiple codes, which association do I apply for Garda Vetting under?
An agreement between the GAA, LGFA and Camogie permits each of the Gaelic Games Associations to recognise the vetting carried out by each other, i.e. the GAA will accept and recognise the vetting disclosure for a coach who has been vetted by either LGFA or Camogie and they will do likewise for each of the Gaelic Games Associations.
How often does Garda vetting need to be renewed?
Garda Vetting is for a three year period after which time it must be renewed following the procedure outlined above.
How do I know when my Garda vetting needs to be renewed?
You can check the validity of your Garda Vetting and Safeguarding in your Foireann Profile under ‘Qualifications and Vetting’.
How often does Child Safeguarding need to be renewed?
Your Child Safeguarding Certification lasts for 3 years. This can be renewed via an online refresher course provided you have previously attended a Safeguarding 1 face-to-face course in the previous 3 years.
How do I know when my Child Safeguarding needs to be renewed?
You can check the validity of your Safeguarding in your Foireann Profile under ‘Qualifications and Vetting’. To see your Safeguarding qualification in your Foireann account it must be connected to the Tobar Platform as outlined above.
How do I apply for Garda Vetting if I am U18?
Garda vetting is available to any person over 16 years of age. If a person in respect of whom an application for a vetting disclosure is made is under 18 years of age, a declaration of consent (Parent/Guardian Consent Form) is completed on his or her behalf by a parent or guardian of the person. The applicant must also use the email address of the parent/guardian when making the application. Applications are made via Foireann, under the ’Qualifications and Safeguarding’ tab of the applicant.
For step by step instructions follow the button ‘Submitting a Garda Vetting Application on Behalf of Yourself or a Child’ in the ‘Useful Links’ section below.
The ID Validation Form and Parental Consent form can be found at the bottom of the GAA Garda Vetting page here , or follow the ‘GAA Garda Vetting’ button link above.
