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Embracing
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» » 2017 WAS A YEAR OF
change for the Irish locksmith
industry following the
introduction in February of the
statutory locksmith licence.
The Irish Locksmith
Organisation (ILO) has
spent years negotiating for
statutory regulation of the Irish
locksmith industry and, after
long negotiations with the
Private Security Association
of Ireland (PSA) all Irish
locksmiths must now be PSA
registered. All ILO members
must have a PSA registration
number that must be displayed
on all correspondence,
receipts and invoices, at their
premises and on their vans.
Mandatory PSA registration
meant all locksmiths were
required to undergo a full
security audit including Garda
(Police) background checks
and Revenue compliance.
There are a host of aspects to
this audit that are designed
both to protect the public
and to ensure that the highest
industry standards are
maintained.
ILO Chairman, Jack
Nolan, explained how the
industry has reacted since
the introduction of the new
statutory regulation.
Jack explains, “Prior to the
introduction of the licences
in February this year, some
areas of the security industry
had already been licensed,
such as alarm installers, for
example, but this did not
apply to locksmiths. We had
long discussions with the PSA
during a three year period and
reached agreement on the
various criteria that needed to
be met.”
During the company audit,
which examined all aspects
of company practice, all Irish
locksmiths were granted
temporary licences to enable
them to operate in the interim.
The audit process involves
full tax compliance with up-
to-date tax and VAT records.
Employees will also be vetted
and anyone found to have a
criminal record will not be
granted a licence.
Any company not meeting
the audit criteria was given
four weeks to comply. Prior
to the 1st of February 2017
there were many hundreds
of ‘locksmiths’ operating in
Ireland as of 1st November 20
17 there were now just 160 PSA
registered locksmiths in the
whole country.
“As the largest locksmith
association in Ireland, the
ILO worked closely with
its members to advise and
guide them through the audit
process,” Jack said.
“Our members are required
to have been practising
locksmiths for at least five
years and are well used to
submitting to a rigorous
vetting process. We welcomed
the decision to regulate the
industry because it is clearly
good for both the industry and
the customers but it must now
be enforced.”
Oisin, Jack and Conor Nolan at
the recent MLA Expo in Telford.
“It means that the fly-by-
night companies, which act
neither in the best interests of
customers nor the profession,
will no longer legally be able
to operate. Anyone with a
criminal record, for instance
will not be allowed in.
“Essentially, while the PSA
have inspectors all over the
country, the new regulation
is self-policing as it is clearly
in the best interest of both
the licensed locksmith and
customers to report anyone
who is not operating within
the new regulations. It is an
offence for a locksmith to fit,
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maintain or change a lock
without a licence or indeed for
a customer to knowingly hire
an unlicensed locksmith, with
a penalty of €5,000.
“For the customer ,the
regulation means peace-of-
mind and provides them with
a platform from which to
protect their consumer rights.
If a company does not meet the
requirements, then it has the
grounds to make a complaint to
the PSA, which would investigate
and take action if necessary.
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