FAI reveals ‘inconsistencies’ in Garda vetting process for coaches and match officials

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has written to its registered clubs and coaches to inform them of “inconsistencies” in the “recording and validation” of Garda vetting information.Up to 60 coaches in the League of Ireland have yet to be approved by the vetting system, a source informed The Irish Times. The FAI also issued instructions to clubs this week to not play under-18 players on teams with coaches that have not been Garda vetted.The association said in a statement on Friday night that it was “undertaking a comprehensive review of safeguarding compliance records”.READ MORE“Following a review by the FAI safeguarding department, inconsistencies were identified in the recording and validation of Garda vetting information on FAI Connect,” the statement said. “The association is now undertaking a comprehensive verification and reconciliation of its compliance records.“What does this mean for you [as coaches]? All registrations of coaches, staff and officials of children’s teams or vulnerable persons require Garda vetting, where current compliance cannot be verified.”The FAI also said that clubs and individuals remain responsible for ensuring Garda vetting requirements are satisfied “before undertaking relevant roles”.FAI chief executive David Courell, speaking during an appearance before the Oireachtas sports committee, said the Girls in Green documentary by Mark Tighe and Marie Crowe, had “shone a light on an evolving situation across all aspects of Irish society in terms of adult safeguarding”.[ FAI tells Uefa gathering about Ireland team’s experiences during Israel gamesOpens in new window ]“That is something to which the association has taken a huge amount of energy and focus,” Courell said. “We have introduced that new role of head of safeguarding. “We are pivoting the organisation from a child welfare and safeguarding focus to an expanded adult and child welfare safeguarding focus.”When Fianna Fáil TD Pádraig O’Sullivan asked the FAI delegation last month if all the registered referees and coaches in the country had been Garda vetted, the association’s director of football John Martin said there were 1,400 referees “licensed and Garda vetted”.“The list of all the referees was communicated to the relevant leagues around the country,” he said.“All the referee records on FAI Connect are updated on an ongoing, continual basis, whereas their licences are renewed annually.” – Additional reporting: Mark Tighe