Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I think the word "may" is preferable to the word "shall". I am sure the authority will demand a Garda certificate wherever it considers it appropriate and reasonable to do so. To require a Garda certificate in respect of each and every renewal would be excessive. As this industry is unregulated, we crudely estimate, taking account of part-time and full-time employees, that some 15,000 people provide security services in this State. The imposition of some 15,000 transactions annually on gardaí, even if a chief superintendent or a superintendent were to take ten minutes per transaction to provide the material which is not a significant amount of time to devote to each certificate, would take up a colossal amount of time. I am trying to free gardaí from paperwork, firearms renewal work and fine collection work. To impose 15,000 annual transactions on senior Garda officers, which are unnecessary in many cases, would be excessive. Whereas I agree with Senator Tuffy that some transactions regarding passports and voting registration require Garda verification, that is not done at a senior level within the Garda Síochána. However, it is envisaged that this certificate will be verified at senior level. I cannot lightly condemn senior Garda management to spending all their time handing out certificates every year to people in respect of many of whom they will be unnecessary in that they will have come to no adverse attention during the year.