Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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676. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of licenses issued by the Private Security Authority since March 2020; and if her Department has sought meetings with the authority to expedite waiting lists caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. [36883/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Private Security Authority (PSA), established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, as amended, is responsible for the licensing and regulation of the private security industry in the State. The PSA is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department and I have no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the Authority.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy I have had inquiries made of the PSA and I have been informed that they issued the following licences from 1 March 2020 to 31 October 2020:

- Individual Licences: 7,034

- Temporary Individual Licences (Static): 202

- Contractor Licences: 365

I am further informed that there have been no delays in issuing licences due to Covid-19 and therefore no waiting lists.  However, the PSA is aware that there are 8 contractors (5 locksmith and 3 Access Control) who are new entrants to the security industry and have been unable to gain the certification prescribed for licensing because of Level 5 restrictions.

The certification process requires visits to the contractors place of business and the inspection of records and verification of work practices. I can advise that certification should resume when the Level 5 restrictions are lifted.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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677. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if consideration has been given to a possible extension to licenses issued by the Private Security Authority that are set to expire in the coming months to reflect the period that locksmiths were out of work and may not be in a position to cover this significant expense. [36885/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Private Security Authority (PSA), established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, as amended, is responsible for the licensing and regulation of the private security industry in the State. The PSA is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department and I have no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the Authority.

The duration of licences and the requirements for obtaining a licence are matters for the Board of the PSA.

However, I can inform the Deputy that in April 2020, the Board of the PSA submitted proposals to my Department for a change in the licence fee for contractors. This proposal took account of the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on the security industry at that time, and also the additional costs which will arise from implementing the new health and safety requirements in the workplace.  Having considered this matter against the backdrop of evolving arrangements for reopening society and business, I requested the Board of the PSA to review their proposal in light what might be the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the security industry.

An updated proposal was recently received from the PSA and I intend to consider this latest proposal accordingly.