PSA requirements for persons wishing to complete a security course

Here are the latest guidelines from PSAWatch, the ezine of the Private Security Authority:

Training Providers offering Security Guarding and Door Supervisor Courses

The PSA requires that licence applicants for Security Guarding and Door Supervisor licences must submit proof of training. The training must be provided by a training provider whose courses are validated or accredited by QQI or other nationally recognised awarding body and must cover certain topics.

Where the training is provided by a training provider whose security courses are not validated by QQI or other nationally recognised awarding body then the PSA

•will not accept the application and

•will require the applicant to provide evidence of training from another training provider.

This is to ensure that the training received is subject to proper and exacting quality assurance procedures by the relevant awarding body so that the public can be assured that all licence holders have a consistent minimum level of training.

Before undertaking the security course and spending your money please make sure that the training you are about to undertake is validated by QQI or other nationally recognised awarding body and if in doubt, please contact the awarding body to make sure it is.

For additional information regarding training providers please consult our website at www.psa.gov.ie.

Lost, Stolen or Damaged Licences and Licence/ID Cards

Since September 2009 all individuals who are licensed by the PSA must, by law, wear

an identity badge at all times while on private security duty. Guidelines on wearing the identity badge can be found on our website at www.psa.gov.ie under Licensing Information.

It can happen that licence holders will lose their licence or their licence ID card. In some cases they may be stolen or badly damaged. Replacement documents will be issued by the PSA if your licence or licence ID card is lost, stolen or damaged. The fee

is €20 and the replacement licence or licence ID card should be claimed on form PSA D1/2011, which can be downloaded from our website. You should complete the form

and then go to your local Garda Station for official confirmation that the document(s) have been lost, stolen or damaged. The Garda who deals with you will sign, date and stamp the document which you should then submit with the appropriate fee of €20 to the PSA at the address on the right hand side of the next page.

A replacement document or card will then issue to you at the address you have put on the form.

Upcoming Renewal Dates

The next two dates for renewal of individual licences are

29th September 2014 and

6th November 2014.

If you have a licence that expires on either date we ask that you get your application forms for licence renewal filled up and submitted well in advance of the expiry date and send the application form and other documents into us before that date.

If you don’t get your renewal application form in before the date your licence expires you are not legally entitled to work and you may be subject to penalties or sanctions if caught working illegally.

Failure to renew your licence by the expiry date will mean that you will not be on our register of licence holders and could affect your employment prospects where a prospective employer will consult the register to see if your name is recorded as a licence holder.

Your renewal application form can be filled in online and signed and photo attached when issued to you. Again our website at www.psa.gov.ie should be consulted before renewing.

New Garda Vetting Forms

As and from the month of July 2014 the Central Vetting Unit of An Garda Siochana require a new version of the Garda vetting form to be completed and the previous version will not be accepted by that Unit. The form can be found on our website and we ask that all applicants, both first-time and renewal, submit this new version so that there are no unnecessary delays in processing your application when it arrives into us.