Registry

garda vetting

Garda Vetting 

All queries in relation to Garda Vetting for Students should be emailed to studentvetting@dcu.ie

Information on Garda Vetting for Students

DCU offers a number of educational programmes that require students to undertake placements, with external agencies, which will bring them into contact with the public and in which they will assume positions of trust.  To ensure the protection of the public, and justify public trust of confidence, the University is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake these programmes.

DCU is required by section 12(4)(d) of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 to operate a system of Garda vetting in respect to those students who will undertake work or activities which involves unsupervised access to children or vulnerable persons as part of their programme of study.

DCU uses the National Vetting Bureau service (NVB) to assess the suitability of such applicants and may also require applicants to provide an enhanced disclosure by the completion of a sworn declaration as part of the student registration process.

For the programmes listed below DCU requires students to be Garda Vetted before they fully complete their registration as a student of the University. 

Undergraduate Programmes

  • BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training
  • BSc in Education & Training
  • BSc in Physical Education with Biology
  • BSc in Physical Education with Mathematics
  • BSc in Psychology
  • BSc in Science Education
  • BSc in Sport Science and Health
  • Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching)
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) - Gaeltacht Applicants
  • Bachelor of Education in Gaeilge and French/German/Spanish
  • Bachelor of Religious Education and English
  • Bachelor of Religious Education and History
  • Bachelor of Religious Education and Music
  • BSc in Nursing (General)
  • BSc in Nursing (Mental Health)
  • BSc In Nursing (Intellectual Disability)
  • BSc in Children’s and General (Integrated) Nursing
  • BSc in Health and Society
  • Higher Diploma in Children’s Nursing
  • Certificate in Peer Support working in Mental Health

Graduate Programmes

  • Graduate Certificate in the Education of Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders
  • Graduate Diploma in Inclusive Learning Support and Special Education
  • Professional Master of Education
  • Graduate Diploma in Guidance Counselling
  • Master of Education in Autism (where relevant)
  • MSc in Guidance Counselling
  • Master in Special Educational Needs (where Garda Vetting is relevant)
  • MA in Chaplaincy Studies and Pastoral Work
  • Professional MA in Healthcare Chaplaincy
  • MSc in Psychotheraphy
  • MSc in Child & Adolescent Health Care Practice
  • MSc in Child & Adolescent Nursing Practice
  • Msc in General Health Care Practice
  • MSc in General Nursing Practice
  • MSc in Intellectual Disability Health Care Practice
  • MSc in Intellectual Disability Nursing Practice
  • MSc in Mental Health Care Practice
  • MSc in Mental Health Nursing Practice
  • Master in Special Education  Needs (where relevant for research only)
  • MSc in Demenetia Nursing Practice
  • MSc in Dementia Helath Care Practice
  • MSc in Psychology (where relevant)
  • MSc in Psychology and Well Being
  • Doctorate in Psychotherapy
  • PhD or other research programme[1] (where Garda Vetting is relevant)

Students who accept places in programmes which require Garda Vetting will be sent the necessary forms by DCU.  Your rights in relation to this are available on the website of the Garda Síochána (Irish Police Force) www.garda.ie

Police Certificates

IF YOU RESIDED OUTSIDE OF IRELAND, AFTER THE AGE OF 18, PLEASE READ POINT 1 AND 2 BELOW. IF YOU DID NOT RESIDE OUTSIDE OF IRELAND AFTER THE AGE OF 18, PLEASE CONTINUE TO POINT 3 BELOW

 1. POLICE CERTIFICATE -  (A Police Certificate is ONLY required if you resided outside of Ireland after the age of 18, for a period of time, greater than six months

  • An original Police Certificate from the jurisdiction(s) of previous residence covering the dates of residency in that jurisdiction.
  • If the Police Certificate is not issued in English the student must provide a certified translation.

Information on where and how to apply for Police Clearance Certificates can be found at the following link: 

A-Z list of countries and how to get Police Certificates

and

UK Police Certificates

There may be costs associated with this. 

These links are for information purposes only. Please use the information which is relevant to you. Dublin City University has no affiliation or connection to any information displayed on these websites.

Where an applicant or student cannot provide a Police Clearance Certificate/disclosure record, supporting documentation will be sought by Dublin City University from the student as to why a Police Clearance certificate cannot be obtained.  Dublin City University reserves the right to seek a statutory declaration where a satisfactory police/criminal records disclosure cannot be obtained.

2. STATUTORY DECLARATION – (A Statutory Declaration (provided in the vetting pack) is ONLY required if you resided outside of Ireland after the age of 18, for less than six months

If you are required to submit a Statutory Declaration Form, this must be signed and stamped by a Commissioner for Oaths.  

Please note that the said declaration may be accepted by Dublin City University in the following restricted circumstances only:

  • Where clearance can only be obtained by resident citizens and would pose a risk for the student to return to obtain this clearance, DCU will seek guidance from relevant embassies;
  • the applicant resided in the country for a period of less than six months and/or the applicant was travelling through the country and had no fixed address;
  • the country is at war or experiencing political upheaval; DCU will consult with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for guidance;
  • the applicant has provided correspondence demonstrating that police clearance cannot be obtained.

3. Please note if you have NEVER resided outside of Ireland after the age of 18, you are NOT required to return the enclosed Statutory Declaration form.

Notwithstanding the above, DCU reserves the right to refuse admission or cancel a registration in the absence of a satisfactory police clearance certificate/criminal record disclosure. 

Garda Vetting Process

The following sections describe the details of the various stages that are involved in the Garda Vetting process.

Stage 1:

Completion of Vetting Invitation Form & Validation of Identity

Applicants who have been provisionally offered, and have accepted a place on the programme are sent a Vetting Invitation Form and the instructions for completion of the form.  In addition, certified identity and address validations are required as part of the vetting process.  Information on relevant address and identity validations are included in the vetting information pack. This documentation highlights for students the importance of full disclosure. Where an applicant is under 18 years of age, they must arrange the completion of an additional form ‘Garda Vetting Parent/Guardian Consent Form’.

Stage 2:

Students complete provisional registration during the first year registration process. Their registration is conditional until they have completed the vetting process and satisfied the University of their suitability to be enrolled in the programme.

Stage 3:

Completion of Liaison Person section of form 

Students return their completed Vetting Invitation form to the Liaison Person.  Once the Liaison Person is satisfied that all sections of the form are duly completed and validations are in order, the details on the form are submitted to the National Vetting Bureau system.

Stage 4:

Completion of  Online Vetting Application by Student 

The student will receive an email from the National Vetting Bureau inviting them to complete the vetting form online.  When completed by the student, the online vetting form is reviewed by the Liaison Person and submitted online to the National Vetting Bureau.

Stage 5:

Disclosures 

The NVB processes the vetting application and when the process is complete, returns a Disclosure for each student to the Liaison Person.  The Disclosure is reviewed by the Liaison Person and then sent by email to the student. Where disclosures with convictions exist, the Liaison Person shall furnish details to the Chairperson of the University Student Vetting Committee. The Chairperson, having reviewed the disclosure, will determine whether the nature of the disclosure requires consideration by the University Vetting Committee.

Stage 6:

University Student Vetting Committee 

The University Student Vetting Committee will consider all relevant information in relation to disclosures and make determinations on behalf of the University.

The University Student Vetting Committee shall take particular note of offences of a sexual, violent, dishonest or drug-related nature

Stage 7:

Appeal process

 A decision of the University Vetting Committee may be appealed by the student within 14 days of the issue of the decision.   The appeal should be made in writing to the University Registrar citing one of the three grounds for appeal.

Stage 8:

Students who have satisfactorily completed Garda Vetting (and any other requirements of the registration process) will be deemed to be fully registered as students of Dublin City University

Vetting Expiry Period

Currently, DCU vetting remains valid for four years. Students registered for more than four years are required to be re-vetted with the exceptions below:

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education – students are re-vetted after year three

Bachelor of Science in Nursing - General, Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Children’s and General (Integrated) Nursing are re-vetted after any period of absence during a period of study

Disclosure of Criminal Convictions

All applicants who have been convicted of a criminal offence must disclose this to Dublin City University.

Under Section 26 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001 it is an offence for a convicted sex offender to apply for a position, to enter into a contract of employment or to continue to work or study in an area either knowing, or if they ought reasonably to have known, that a necessary and regular part of that work/placement involves unsupervised access to, or contact with children, without informing their employer of their conviction.

All prospective applicants or registered students must inform Dublin City University of any such conviction at the earliest possible opportunity. If during the course of the application/registration process it transpires that an applicant has a criminal conviction (either by way of Garda Vetting or by applicant disclosure) full details of the conviction will be sought and the Student Vetting process will commence.

The provision of false, inaccurate or misleading information will disqualify applicants from the selection process and for existing students may result in disciplinary action (up to and including withdrawal of registration and exit from programme).

 

The DCU Policy for Student Vetting can be found at

https://www.dcu.ie/sites/default/files/policy/164_-_garda_vetting_policy_students_v5.0.pdf

In addition, information on Spent Convictions Scheme for Offences Committed Aged Under 18 can be found athttp://www.iprt.ie/contents/2335


[1] Garda vetting may be required following completed initial registration.


Document Name : Procedure for Student Vetting

Version Reference 5.0

Dcoument Owner: Registry

Approved By: DCU Executive

Date: 21st April 2020