David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 555: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has considered conducting a review of the operation of the Private Security Services Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10734/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Private Security Services Act 2004 (as amended) provides that the Private Security Authority (PSA) is the regulatory body responsible for the regulation and licensing of the security industry in Ireland. The Authority is an independent body under the aegis of my Department.

The PSA undertook a phased roll out of licensing of the private security industry. It commenced licensing of contractors in 2006 and this was followed by the licensing of certain individuals in 2007. I understand that there are, at present, almost 750 licensed contractors and over 27,000 licensed individuals operating in the security industry. Licensing of the remaining sub-sectors of the industry is expected to be completed in the coming years. The transformation which regulation has brought about to date, in just over 7 years, has been significant with many positive benefits for both the industry, the wider business community and the public alike.

As regards the legislation itself, the 2004 Act was amended, last August, by the enactment of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act 2011. These amendments strengthen certain financial, licensing and enforcement functions of the Authority and came about following lessons learned by the Authority from its operations to date.

As the Authority continues its work and further expands its operations, no doubt further lessons will be learned. However, given the relatively short timeframe in which the Authority has been operating, the phased roll out of its licensing to date and the enactment of the legislative amendments last year, I have no current plans to review the operation of the 2004 Act. I am of course open to considering such a review in the future, should the need arise.