Garda Vetting

Garda E-Vetting Process

New Changes in place from August 1st

Please be advised that Basketball Ireland has received updated guidance from the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) regarding the validation of identity and consent documents for vetting applications. These updates are compulsory for all relevant organisations, including Basketball Ireland and our affiliate clubs.

These changes from the GNVB can be viewed HERE

Below is a summary of key updates and what this means for your club, with original document is attached for your records.

Summary of GNVB Vetting Guidance (Version 2 – 2025)

  1. New Requirements for the NVB1 (see download section below) Form:
  • Handwritten (wet) signature required only (digital signatures are not accepted).
  • Role on form must clearly match BI definitions of relevant work.
  • All sections of the form must be completed in full.
  • Forms older than 6 months will not be accepted.
  • For U18, a parent guardian email and contact number must be provided in the email and contact field
  1. ID Validation Must Be Done In-Person:
  • Copies of ID/address documents must be validated by someone who physically viewed the original.
  • Validator must include their name, position, club, and validation date.
    • The club CPO can appoint extra validators in the club to assist in this role.
    • These can be members from club exec. or coach/team manager
      • Club CPO to let BI NCSO who these validators will be.
  • If validation begins online (e.g. for overseas applicants), in-person verification is required before vetting is submitted.
  1. Accepted Proof of ID & Address:
  • Strict document rules apply (see updated “Identity Document Schedule”).
  • Bank statements must come from recognised institutions (not Revolut, etc).
  • Only utility bills from approved services are accepted (e.g. electricity, broadband).
  • Under-18s must provide a birth cert and school/college letter for ID/address.
  1. Retention Rules:
  • NVB1 forms (hard copy) must be retained for at least 6 months by club (soft copy after this point). BI may request these hard copies for auditing purposes.
  • Copies of ID/address documents must be retained while the individual is active (soft copies only).
  • All records for inactive members must be securely destroyed within 12 months of departure.

 Required Club Actions

  1. Cease Use of Old Forms & Checklists:
    • Effective immediately, do not use any older BI vetting forms or the former 100-point checklist.
    • These will be removed from the BI website shortly to prevent confusion.
  2. Implement In-Person Verification for Vetting:
    • All vetting applications must now comply with the new document validation standards.
  3. Ensure Compliance for Future Audits:
    • GNVB has advised that all affiliate bodies, including Basketball Ireland, will be audited in the near future.
    • Clubs must maintain a consistent and auditable process for vetting validation and record retention

It is very important that all persons wishing to be Garda vetted, read the information outlined below, before continuing with the Garda e-vetting process, outlined below.

Further information can be found on the National Vetting Bureau website - https://vetting.garda.ie/ 

Did you know, it is a legal requirement that all staff, paid and voluntary, who work regularly with children and/or vulnerable adults must undergo the Garda Vetting process?
National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Adults) Act 2012 to 2016.

 
An individual may not commence working/volunteering with children or vulnerable adults as a member of Basketball Ireland until their Garda Vetting has been completed and the results conveyed to the Liaison person. It is an offence to start a person in such activities before their Garda Vetting has been satisfactorily completed. A full list of who should be vetted can be found in our e-vetting FAQ section.

All those who are seeking Garda E-Vetting under the organisation of Basketball Ireland MUST be registered members of Basketball Ireland for the season that they are being vetted in and they must input their valid BIPIN on the NVB1 form. 

*Where a BIPIN can not be provided, permission must be sought from the BI NCSO, and agreement to forward BIPIN when it is known. If an individual is a volunteer within a club, they must register as same and input a short description on what they do in the club that deems vetting necessary e.g. Helping the coach with underage training sessions etc.

All forms, when completed, are to be EMAILED only, to safeguarding@ireland.basketball

E-Vetting Process

The Garda Vetting Unit has developed an electronic based Garda Vetting System which eliminates a lot of the returned vetting forms due to errors as it will only allow correctly completed applications to proceed. This process significantly reduces the process time from the paper application process. Estimated processing time is between *10-20 working days, (*once applicant section online is completed).


Step 1

The vetting subject completes a NVB1, see below: 

NVB1

***
Only members 16 years of age and older can be vetted. A parent/guardian phone number and email must used for members over 16 and under 18 on the invite form as they will have to complete the online section on behalf of the child. Please submit a Parental Consent Form (NVB3) below for anyone under 18 and over 16 years of age.

NVB3
***

New Identification Documents

Accepted Documentation for Adults - HERE

Accepted Documentation for U18's - HERE

The vetting subject or CPO is to email their vetting documents to safeguarding@ireland.basketball   

As of March 1st, 2024, NO postal applications will be Processed.


Step 2
Basketball Ireland then inputs the information to the online e-vetting system, this then generates an automated email (from evetting.donotreply@garda.ie), sent to the vetting subject and contains a link (corresponding to the email address provided in the NVB1 form inviting them to complete the online e-vetting application (please check spam/junk folders). This link will expire after 30 days (a reminder is sent with 9 days left). If uncompleted in this time frame, the subject will have to re-apply to Basketball Ireland to re-send the link.

Note:  Incorrect forms or applications not meeting the requirements outlined ,will be rejected and returned to sender for correction at this point.

Step 3
The Basketball Ireland Liaison Person reviews the Vetting Application submission and submits it to the National Vetting Bureau for processing.


Step 4
The National Vetting Bureau processes the application and forwards a vetting disclosure to the Basketball Ireland Liaison Person.


Step 5
Basketball Ireland reviews the vetting disclosure and as soon as is practicable provides a response to the vetting subject in PDF format by email and a copy is also sent to the club CPO.

Note: The time taken to complete the vetting process is dependent on the prompt return of accurately completed forms. Please take the time to ensure that you have filled out your form correctly.

Other Vetting Information

Relevant Child Protection Information (links)

Lost Successful Letters can be retrieved from Basketball Ireland

In the event that a club member has lost their approved garda vetting letter, they can email the BI Liaison Person, detailing their name, date of birth and postal address and the BI Liaison Person can re-issue the letter to the applicant. The current Authorised Signatory email address is - safeguarding@ireland.basketball 

Club checking the vetting situation of their current members

If a club wants to check the status of their current members, the Child Protection Officer should email the BI NCSO detailing the names, postal addresses and date of birth for each member that requires checking. A template for club vetting checks is available in the downloads section.

Information on Garda Vetting

It is extremely important that the Garda Vetting Authorised Signatory and Child Protection Officer have valid contact details for each club’s Child Protection Officer and Designated Person for obvious reasons. If any of your details change or you have any queries or suggestions, please do so via email to Rory Wall or Triona Leahy: safeguarding@ireland.basketball 



Updated

16th July 2025

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