Child performance licences

A child performance licence is required from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for any child under 16 performing on a production in Ireland. The statutory basis is S3(2) of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 (POYP).

When required

For every cast member under 16 — features, TV drama, commercials, music videos, documentaries (where children appear in a structured way).

Age bands

The licence conditions differ by age band:

Hours-on-set, rest periods, education-time requirements all scale with the age band.

Lead time

Licence applications need substantial lead time — typically 4-6 weeks before first session. The Department doesn't fast-track. Productions that file late routinely lose shoot days.

Required artefacts

• Qualified chaperone named (for under-7 and 7-to-13 bands)
• Principal absence form on file (if the child is missing school)
• Guardian consent captured
• Earnings account in the child's name (where fees apply)

In Togra

/child_licences.php per project tracks every minor cast member's licence — application date, first session date, lead-time alerts, chaperone qualification status, principal absence form on file, guardian consent. The Casting Director's hub surfaces "licences outstanding" + "lead-time alerts" per project.

Related

Garda Vetting under the National Vetting Bureau Acts is the parallel obligation for crew working with minors. The two are separate but commonly conflated.