Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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620. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when she will regulate the use of house alarms in order that that they have automatic shut-off times and give the required powers to gardaí to turn off such alarms when they malfunction and cause a noise nuisance. [33729/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that legislation on noise nuisance comes within the remit of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I am advised that section 107 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides local authorities with powers to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit noise from any premises, processes and works. In this context I have no plans to provide An Garda Síochána with powers as outlined by the Deputy.

In particular, I am advised that there is a mechanism for complaint to the District Court under section 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance is available to download from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government's website at - .

I can also inform the Deputy that the Private Security Authority (PSA), under the aegis of my Department, is responsible for the licensing, control and supervision of all installers of security equipment. The PSA has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of services, including standards for intruder alarms. As of 1 August 2006, alarm installers cannot legally operate without a PSA licence, the granting of which requires that the installer is compliant with the Irish Standard for intruder alarm systems, IS EN50131. While this standard does not specify a maximum decibel level, it does specify a maximum duration of 15 minutes for the sounding of external alarms on buildings, which must cease automatically after this maximum duration. This applies to all external alarms installed after 1 August 2006.