Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he has taken to ensure that persons with criminal records are not issued with licences under the Private Security Services Act 2004. [38284/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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My concern in regard to unacceptable elements within the private security industry was one of the reasons why I brought forward the Private Security Services Act 2004 to regulate the private security industry.

The Private Security Authority is the statutory body established under the Act to regulate this important industry. The PSA has put in place stringent criteria to ensure the private security industry operates to a high standard. In this regard, all applicants for a licence must undergo criminal record checks by the Garda Síochána, be they employees, principals or directors of private security companies and it is a matter for the authority to take the nature of any such record into account in determining whether to issue a licence. It is an offence in itself not to disclose details of a conviction when applying to the authority for a licence.