An alias is any other name that you are known by other than the forename that is recorded on your birth certificate. For example, someone named Kathleen may be known as Kate or Katie.

Yes, all addresses from birth to the present date, including term addresses, addresses outside of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland, should be stated on the application form.

An estimation of the month is acceptable.

Please submit as much of the address as possible, for example the street/road, town and county. You will be required to enter a note on the form stating that you cannot remember the full address.

For that particular timeframe, you must enter a note on the form stating that you were travelling and did not have one fixed address. Please name the countries through which you travelled.

The form must contain your original signature and cannot be completed by a third party on your behalf. The form must NOT be signed by a representative of An Garda Síochána. The Teaching Council is the authorised body designated to submit Garda Vetting Application Forms and will liaise directly with the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU). Completed forms must be returned to The Teaching Council.

If you wish to include an initial in your signature, for example John M. Smith, you must provide the full name in the Forename section i.e. John Mark.

The signature used must match the name in which the form is completed. You may complete the Forename and Surname sections in both the English and Irish version of your name and then sign the form in either the English or Irish version.

Review all details to ensure they are correct. Read, sign and date the declaration section and return to The Teaching Council, Vetting Section, Block A, Maynooth Business Campus, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. An inaccurately completed form will be returned to you for correction with the omissions/errors highlighted.

Please provide an approximate month and year.

Teachers with current registration are not required to provide this additional documentation. The Garda Central Vetting Unit currently undertakes vetting on addresses in Ireland and Northern Ireland only. If you have resided outside of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland for a cumulative period of three years or more, after the age of 18, you are required to provide the following supporting documentation when submitting your Garda Vetting Application Form:

• Certified copies of police clearance documents from all jurisdiction(s)/state(s) of previous residence referring to the time spent in each country. The Teaching Council only accepts police clearance documents which cover the entire period of residence in other jurisdictions.
  
• A certified copy of a certificate of good standing or letter of professional standing from the authorised body or competent authority of the country in which you are currently registered, e.g. Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is only required if you completed your teacher education qualification outside of Ireland and you are applying for registration in the primary or post-primary sectors. This requirement does not currently apply to the further education sector.
  
• Only certified copies of the above documentation should be submitted. Uncertified copies will not be accepted and will be returned with a request for a certified copy. Please see question 12 below for further details on the Certified Copy Policy. All original documents received by the Council will be returned by standard post.
  
• Certified translations must be provided for any of the above documents not written in the English/Irish language. Please see question 12 below for further details on certified translations. For information on the requirements for the translation of police clearance documents in the French, Italian, Spanish, German or Polish language please contact the Vetting Section of the Teaching Council.

To certify a photocopy of an original document, a member of An Garda Síochána, a Solicitor or Commissioner for Oaths must sight the original document and the photocopy of the document at the same time. The certifier will provide a signature, stamp and date on the photocopy to confirm it is a true copy of the original document.

Certified Translation Policy
A certified translation must include either a statement/certifying clause, or a separate certification page which confirms that the translation is a true, accurate and correct rendering of either the original document or of a certified copy of the original document. A certified translation should state the language from which the translation has been carried out and must be signed by the translator, stating his/her name, address and contact details and the date, together with a certification stamp affixed at the end of a translation.

The onus is on you to obtain your police clearance from the jurisdictions in which you resided. A list of bodies and organisations that may be of assistance in obtaining police clearance can be found on the Garda vetting pages of the Teaching Council website. This is not a complete list and may not include the country in which you resided. You may wish to contact the embassy of the country in which you resided to seek further information. A list of embassies can be found on the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Council reserves the right to seek a sworn declaration where a satisfactory police/criminal records disclosure is not available. In the following circumstances, a declaration form (GV01) may be issued:

• the Teaching Council is aware that police clearance is only obtainable by residents of the country concerned
• the applicant has resided in the country for a period of less than six months
• the applicant was travelling through the country and had no fixed address
• the applicant resided in the country more than 20 years ago
• the country is at war or experiencing political upheaval
• the applicant can provide correspondence demonstrating that police clearance cannot be obtained.

No. Please send your completed Garda Vetting Application Form to The Teaching Council so that the vetting process can commence. Please quote your name and PPS number on any additional documentation submitted.

If you have provided the additional documentation listed at Question 11 above, you may be accepted onto the Register. However, a Garda vetting result is required for employment purposes. A new Garda Vetting Application Form which includes an Irish address must be submitted by you, once you are resident in Ireland.

Once the vetting process has been completed by the Garda Central Vetting Unit, the result will be forwarded to The Teaching Council who will issue you with your Garda vetting result letter.