Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the percentage of intruder alarm installations that are carried out by installers in each of the turnover bands in 2010. [20629/11]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if any efforts are being made to reduce the cost of compliance for small operators in regard to licence costs under the Private Security Authority similar to the situation in the United Kingdom where the regulatory body has been abolished and the costs of the licence are significantly less than here. [20633/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 232 together.

The Private Security Authority, an independent body under the aegis of my Department, is responsible for the licensing and regulation of the Irish security industry. I have been informed by the Authority that it does not receive data on the number of intruder alarm installations undertaken by alarm installers and therefore the information sought by the Deputy in this regard is not available. I understand, however, that approx. 95% of contractors are in the under 625,000 euro turnover per annum bracket. Included in this figure are new entrants to the industry who do not yet have a turnover and who account for 20% of contractors.

With regard to licensing costs, the licence fee, which is valid for a two year period, was set by the Authority in 2005 and has not been increased since that time. The provision of a regulatory environment understandably has cost implications but the public and the industry itself both benefits from regulation and it is in line with Government policy that industry should fund such regulation. The licence fee is, however, monitored on a regular basis and the Authority has taken every effort to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum. In order to assist contractors with paying their licence fee, the Authority has also introduced an instalment payment option.

On the matter of costs and the regulatory environment in the United Kingdom, I think it is important for the Deputy to note that the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the regulatory authority in the United Kingdom, has not been abolished and continues to function. Furthermore, it would be inappropriate to compare the licensing costs associated with the private security industry in the State with those in place in the United Kingdom, given the significant differences that exist in the regulation of security contractors in each jurisdiction. In comparison to the mandatory licensing system which is operated by the Private Security Authority, the SIA operates a voluntary scheme of registration for contractors in the security industry.

This voluntary scheme is not in fact open to contractors involved in the installation of intruder alarms as this sector was precluded from the legislation establishing the SIA. Any direct comparison of costs between the two schemes would therefore be fundamentally flawed, when one considers the voluntary nature of the SIA scheme against the standards based mandatory licensing scheme administered by the Private Security Authority, with its associated regulatory responsibilities, including substantial enforcement costs.