Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The Minister called on the Private Security Authority to press ahead with its plans to introduce licensing for security companies operating in the cash-in-transit sector. Adherence to the provisions in the code of practice will form an integral part of any licensing regime. Any company not in compliance with the standards in the code will not be licensed to operate within the cash movement sector.

The Private Security Authority established in 2004 puts the regulation of the Irish private security industry on a statutory footing for the first time. It is already an offence for unlicensed companies to operate in sectors such as door security and security guarding, and the authority continues to roll out licensing on a phased basis for companies involved in other parts of the private security industry.

There is provision within the Private Security Services Act 2004 for mandatory licensing of the cash-in-transit sector. It was intended to introduce licensing of the sector at the end of a voluntary compliance period where the industry would be given time within which to bring its standards up to the requisite approved standards, which would form the basis for licensing. The Minister finds now that radical lapses in standards have occurred and, as a result, he has been advised by the chief executive of the Private Security Authority that she will bring forward proposals for the introduction of mandatory licensing as soon as possible.

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