Stumbling blocks for private security legislation

Ulster Unionist Assembly member for North Down, Alan McFarland, has welcomed moves to amend the Private Security Industry Order for Northern Ireland, but has expressed concerns about some of its finer details.

"Firstly, I must pay particular tribute to North Down Borough Council and to Belfast City Council as some time back officials from those councils saw the need to protect door staff - they are to be commended for their early spotting of a problem here.

"While we need to have a Northern Ireland-wide system that will cover all the council areas so that everyone operates on a level playing field, I believe there are a number of issues that must be addressed," Mr McFarland said.

"The obligation on all directors of a company to be cleared for security work creates a major stumbling block.

"Imagine a small, family-owned, rural pub, of which four of the family members are the pub's directors. It seems silly that all four of them have to go through the expensive process of being trained, having to attend various courses, and having to pay a lot of money to become qualified as security assessors. Why can we not have a situation in which one of those family members is in charge of security?

"There has also been a lot of confusion about conflict-related convictions, and their applicability to applications for security registration. The NIO and other relevant bodies must work out the rules of the game before the legislation is introduced in Northern Ireland.

"There are a number of areas in which clarity is required so that we get the system right and that when it is introduced in Northern Ireland, it will be a fair and equitable system that people support."