Introduction
The Government of Ireland through the Private Security Services Act, 2004, established the Private Security Authority (PSA) as the national regulatory and licensing body for the private security industry.
What's Licensable?
Section 2 of the Act, as amended, sets out the activities which are licensable by the PSA. These comprise:
- Door Supervisor
- Installer of Security Equipment
- Private Investigator
- Provider of Protected Forms of Transport
- Security Consultant
- Security Guard
- Supplier and Installer of Safes
For licensing purposes the PSA has divided these activities into sub-sectors. For example the Installer of Security Equipment sector has been divided into three sub-sectors, Access Control (Installation and Maintenance), CCTV (Installation and Maintenance) and Intruder Alarm (Installation and Maintenance).
The PSA has taken a phased approach to the licensing of contractors with 10 sectors currently licensed. The roll out of licensing to the remaining sectors will take place during 2015 and 2016.
The definitions of what is licensable for each sector are prescribed by regulations signed by the Minister for Justice and Equality and a synopsis of each definition is available on the PSA website at https://www.psa.gov.ie/en/PSA/Pages/what_licensable
Licensing Requirements
Contractors already licensed by the PSA and those seeking a licence for the first time must comply with the relevant Licensing Requirement Document, as shown below:
Installer of Electronic Security Systems -
- Intruder Alarms - PSA74:2019 + IS EN 50131-1 + IS EN 50131-7
- CCTV – PSA74:2019 + PSA 2006:12
- Access Control – PSA74:2019
Door Supervision and Security Guarding - PSA28:2013
CCTV Monitoring & Alarm Monitoring Centres - PSA33:2014
Event Security – PSA39:2014
Private Investigator - PSA42:2015
For those Contractors applying for a licence for the first time under either PSA28:2014 or PSA39:2014, then separate ‘Phase I’ requirements are detailed in a separate Licensing Requirement, PSA31:2014. There are no ‘Phase I’ requirements for either PSA74:2019, PSA33:2014 or PSA42:2015.
Certification Bodies
Only Certification Bodies approved by the PSA may provide certification services for licensing purposes. Contractors should check the PSA webpage, https://www.psa.gov.ie/en/PSA/Pages/WP14000117 , for a list of approved Certification Bodies. SSAIB is approved by the PSA to offer certification services and we shall be pleased to assist Contractors seeking certification against any of the above Licensing Requirements.
For more information download a leaflet or request an information pack using the links below, or contact our office directly.
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