Bill to regulate private security enforcing court orders still being drafted

Bill to regulate private security enforcing court orders still being drafted

Helen McEntee

Legislation to bring the regulation and licensing of security personnel enforcing court orders within the remit of the Private Security Authority (PSA) is still at a drafting stage over a year after it was first mooted.

Speaking on the launch of the PSA’s annual report for 2019, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said her officials have been “working intensively” on the Private Security Services (Amendment) Bill 2020.

The bill was approved by government ministers in November 2019, but the basic principle was endorsed by ministers as early as April 2019 following an inter-departmental working group report.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) was among groups who called for greater public oversight following tensions over the conduct of security officials at evictions in Dublin in 2018.

Ms McEntee said her officials are working “together with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, and the drafting is now well advanced”.

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