Vetting

Irish Squash is fully committed to safeguarding the well being of its members. Every individual in the organisation should at all times , show respect and understanding to members rights, safety and welfare and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the organisation.

Ann Sheppard is the National Childrens’ Officer for Irish Squash and you can contact Ann through  – childprotection@irishsquash.com

Garda Vetting Procedure

All Irish Squash certified coaches (listed on the coaches section of this website) must complete the  Garda vetting procedure.

New legislation regarding Gárda Vetting has recently come into force. Anyone (and not just coaches) who has on-going contact with children or vulnerable adults, in the field of leisure or sport (paid or voluntary), other than those who assist ‘occasionally’ or in the event of a family or personal relationship, must be vetted.

It is up to clubs to assess whether a person’s contact is ‘occasional’ or not. Occasional Contact is “now and then” or a once off event, such as a sports day.

From now on, Squash Clubs, Provincial Organisations or Irish Squash will not be able to engage anyone unless they are Gárda Vetted – this is now a legal requirement and there can be no exceptions.

For those resident or working in Ireland this is done through the National Vetting Bureau (NVB).  For those resident or working in Northern Ireland this is done through Access NI (ANI).

The National Vetting Bureau and Access NI applications are processed through an online system.  There are differences in each system and both require a paper form to validate your identification.  This is a legal requirement.  Parent/Guardian consent is required for applicants aged 16 or 17 years old.   

The application forms also contain instructions for completion so read through carefully before applying to make sure you have all the correct information to hand and know the process before you proceed.

The procedure is as follows:

Two documents are required:

  1. Irish Squash Vetting Invitation NVB1
  2. Irish Squash Vetting ID Verification Form
Both forms must be printed off, completed and posted together with any additional required documentation to:

Gerry Connaughton
Irish Squash Liaison Person
76 Caiseal Na Rí
Cashel
County Tipperary
E25 TD50

The remainder of the process is done entirely online!

Once the Irish Squash Liaison Person receives your documents and everything is in order the Gárda National Vetting Bureau will send you an email with a link that will enable you to complete your application for Gárda Vetting online.  Full instructions on how to complete your application online are available here:

Re-Vetting

Section 20 of the National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 – 2016 is setting a mandatory re-vetting period to a maximum of three years. Irish Squash is now re-vetting every three years.  If you are already vetted you will be contacted by Irish Squash in good time to remind you to get yourself re-vetted.

Eircodes / Postcodes

 It is a good idea to provide eircodes with all ROI addresses as this may expedite your application.  You can lookup eircodes here:  https://finder.eircode.ie/#/

Applicants please note The National Vetting Bureau will reject your application if you provide a NI address without its postcode!  You can look up NI postcodes here:  https://www.royalmail.com/find-a-postcode 

On receipt of the application for vetting disclosure in respect of a person concerning relevant work or activities, the National Vetting Bureau will make such enquiries with An Garda Síochána or a Scheduled Organisation as it deems necessary to establish whether there is any criminal record or specified information relating to the person. There should be a very fast turnaround time after the online application is submitted – currently about four days.

The National Vetting Bureau will issue the Gárda Vetting Disclosure directly to the Irish Squash Liaison person and he will forward a copy to you and no one else.

You can produce this document if asked for it by a Club, Provincial organisation or Irish Squash.

Additionally, where a person applying for vetting is between 16 and 18 years of age, a declaration of consent must be made on his/her behalf by the applicant’s parent or guardian using the form below.

Parent/Guardian Consent Form

The Code of Ethics in Children’s Sport can be read externally on the  Sport Ireland Website.

Contact Irish Squash info@irishsquash.com with any questions you may have.