At a sitting of Mullingar District Court on Thursday, the 17th July 2014, Colin Dolan, proprietor of the Bed Bar & Bistro, Mount Street, Mullingar, was found guilty of employing an unlicensed door supervisor. Judge Seamus Hughes convicted Mr. Dolan of breaching the Private Security Services Acts, by employing Mr. Craig Bannon at his premises in November 2013. Fines and costs totalling over €1,900 were imposed on Mr. Dolan.
At the same sitting of the court, Craig Bannon, of Grange Cottages, Mullingar, was found guilty of working as a door supervisor without a licence at the Bed Bar & Bistro. Judge Hughes applied the Probation Act in Mr. Bannon’s case. The prosecutions were taken by the Private Security Authority (PSA) following inspections in the Mullingar area during November and December 2013.
All door staff must be licensed by the PSA and wear an identity badge when on duty. Further information on PSA licensing can be found at www.psa.gov.ie. The website also contains a register of licence holders and is a useful tool for businesses and the public who can ensure that their security provider is licensed by checking the details on the register.
The PSA is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the security industry in Ireland and is an independent body under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality.