Frequently Asked Questions

Garda Vetting is carried out by the Garda Central Vetting Unit which is based in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The Unit primarily deals with requests from organisations that have been registered with it to vet prospective employees.

The Unit also deals with requests from individuals looking for information regarding personal information relating to themselves held by An Garda Síochána subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998/2003.

The Unit does not issue Police Certificates of Character.

Garda vetting is conducted in respect of personnel working in a full-time, part-time, and voluntary or student placement capacity in a position in a registered organisation, through which they have unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults. 

No - the Garda Central Vetting Unit is the single point of contact in An Garda Síochána to conduct Garda Vetting.

There is no fee.

Within current disclosure policy, details of all convictions and/or prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, in the State or elsewhere as the case may be are disclosed to the authorised liaison person in the registered organisation.

If you are an organisation seeking Garda Vetting for your personnel, the Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director of the organisation should write to the Garda Central Vetting Unit providing the following details:-

• A description of the service provided by the organisation
• The approximate number of personnel requiring vetting per annum
• The level of substantial unsupervised access personnel will have to children and/or vulnerable adults
• Any additional relevant information e.g. organisational literature orcertificates of registration in respect of charitable status

On receipt of this information, the Garda Central Vetting Unit will respond directly to the applicant organisation.

 If you are an individual who has been requested by an organisation to provide Garda Vetting you should advise the organisation of the above procedure.

The procedure is as follows:-

• Personnel who are subject to Garda Vetting will receive a Garda Vetting Application Form from the registered organisation where they are seeking a position.
• The applicant completes the application form and returns it to the Organisation. He or she must sign the form, thereby providing authorisation for the Garda Vetting process.
• An authorised liaison person in the registered organisation sends the form on to the Garda Central Vetting Unit. 
• Garda Vetting checks on the applicant are carried out following receipt of the application form at the Garda Central Vetting Unit.
• As a result of these checks a Garda Vetting disclosure is issued directly to the authorised liaison person in the registered organisation.
• An individual vetting subject may obtain a copy of their Garda vetting disclosure from the authorised liaison person in the registered organisation to whom it was issued.

Garda Vetting will only be conducted, and relevant disclosure will only be issued to an authorised liaison person within a registered organisation for Garda Vetting, predicated on the written authorisation of an individual vetting subject to do so in a Garda Vetting application form. 

All decisions in respect of the suitability of applicants for positions in registered organisations for Garda vetting are the sole responsibility of the registered organisation concerned.

The Garda Central Vetting Unit has no input into any decision made in any registered organisation in respect of the suitability of an applicant for a position within such an organisation.

A Police Certificate is issued by the Superintendent in the District where the relevant applicant resides, or formerly resided, in the Republic of Ireland. 

The certificate is issued free of charge.

Police Certificates are issued for the following purposes:-

• Foreign Consular Authorities
• Foreign Visas
• Establishing a Business in other EU States

Yes, subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998/2003, every individual has a right to access personal data about him or her held by An Garda Síochána.

An individual seeking access to their information should complete a Data Access Request form (available to download at our Policy Page) and return it with relevant enclosures to the Garda Criminal Records Office, Racecourse Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Yes, there is a fee of €6.35. All cheques/bank drafts should be made payable to “Accountant, Department of Justice”.

A Data Protection disclosure is issued directly to the applicant in person for their own personal use.

No, a Data Protection disclosure cannot be construed as Proof of No Convictions, a Police Certificate, a Garda Reference or Garda Vetting. 

The Unit can be contacted at:-

Garda Central Vetting Unit/Garda Criminal Records Office
Racecourse Road
Thurles
Co. Tipperary

Tel: Lo-Call 1890 488 488/00353 504 27300

Office Hours: 9am-5pm Monday – Friday