Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether further steps are necessary to ensure that persons with criminal records are not issued with licences under the Private Security Act 2004, bearing in mind that he stated in reply to Question No. 191 of 7 December 2005 that the Private Security Act 2004 had put in place stringent criteria to ensure that the private security industry operated to a high standard and that all applicants for licence had to undergo criminal record checks by the Garda Síochána; and if further legislative changes or other measures are necessary arising from recent clear breaches of security, including the one at the National Gallery. [6208/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Private Security Authority has put stringent criteria in place to protect the private security industry from infiltration by criminals. All licence applicants will undergo criminal records checking by the Garda Síochána. This will apply to employees, principals and directors of private security companies. It is an offence not to disclose details of a conviction or convictions when applying to the authority for a licence.

Licensing for individuals employed in the private security industry will commence on 1 April this year. From that time, employees of door security and security guarding companies, along with persons employed 'in-house' by any organisation or business to perform security duties, who apply to the Private Security Authority for a licence, will undergo a Garda criminal records check as part of their licence application. Licences for individuals will become mandatory from 1 April 2007.

I am confident that the measures put in place by the Private Security Authority, underpinned by the Private Security Services Act 2004, are geared to ensure that unacceptable persons are precluded from involvement in the private security industry.