Questions

213. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the minimum training standards required for licensing private security staff, including modules on lawful authority, use of force, restraint, and de-escalation. [64425/25]

214. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether private security training currently includes any accredited instruction on physical restraint; and if not, the assessment which has been made regarding the risks associated with untrained personnel attempting to physically restrain individuals. [64426/25]

215. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if private security licensing requires training on positional asphyxia, medical safety, or the dangers associated with multiple-person restraints; and if not, whether his Department will consider introducing such requirements. [64427/25]

216. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current vetting requirements for private security personnel; and whether his Department has assessed whether the existing regime adequately identifies individuals unsuitable for roles involving physical interaction with the public. [64428/25]

217. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether additional regulatory standards apply to private security personnel operating in nightclubs, bars, or late-night venues where interactions involving physical force are more likely. [64429/25]

218. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether private security personnel working in nightclubs are required to report incidents involving force or restraint to the PSA or An Garda Síochána; and if such mandatory reporting is monitored or enforced. [64430/25]

219. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has conducted any review of risks associated with private security practices in nightclubs, including multi-person restraint, chokeholds, or prone positioning. [64431/25]

220. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether a review has been carried out by his Department, the PSA, or An Garda Síochána into deaths linked to interactions with nightclub security staff in the past 25 years; and whether he will consider establishing such a review. [64432/25]

221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the legal obligations on private security personnel to contact An Garda Síochána immediately after detaining an individual under citizen’s arrest; and whether failure to do so constitutes an offence. [64433/25]

222. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any formal protocols exist between An Garda Síochána and the PSA for handling incidents involving private security personnel, and if not, whether such protocols will be established. [64435/25]

223. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has carried out any assessment of legislative gaps concerning the powers, supervision, and accountability of private security staff since the introduction of the Private Security Services Act 2004. [64436/25]

224. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he intends to bring forward amendments to the Private Security Services Act 2004 to strengthen public protections, increase accountability, or place statutory limits on physical restraint practices. [64437/25]

225. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of licensed private security personnel who have been the subject of complaints, allegations, or investigations relating to sexual assault or inappropriate conduct in the past five years; and if the Private Security Authority has recorded trends in such cases. [64438/25]

226. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the current vetting and licensing framework for private security personnel includes specific safeguarding or sexual misconduct screening, and whether any reforms are planned. [64439/25]

227. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration how allegations of sexual assault by private security staff are handled, which bodies have responsibility for investigating such allegations, and whether there is a centralised reporting system. [64440/25]

228. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the Private Security Authority tracks sexual misconduct complaints against licence holders; and, if not, if he will consider establishing such a reporting mechanism. [64441/25]

229. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for the number of reported sexual assaults occurring in or near licensed venues (bars, nightclubs, events) in the past five years; and whether the Department assesses any correlation between such incidents and the conduct of venue security personnel. [64442/25]

230. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if anonymised national data exists on sexual assault complaints involving door staff or bouncers; and if not, whether the Minister will request that An Garda Síochána or the PSA begin tracking such incidents. [64443/25]

231. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether sexual assault prevention, bystander intervention, or safeguarding training is mandatory for private security staff working in nightlife settings; and if not, whether he plans to introduce such mandatory training. [64444/25]

232. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he intends to review the Private Security Services Act 2004 to strengthen protections for the public in nightlife environments, including clearer guidelines on the conduct of security staff and the handling of sexual assault allegations. [64451/25]

233. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of cases where civil claims involving private security staff have been settled, notwithstanding related criminal complaints that did not proceed due to a lack of admissible evidence; and whether his Department will examine whether this pattern indicates gaps in regulation, evidence gathering, or oversight. [64452/25]

234. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has ever reviewed the divergence between criminal and civil outcomes in cases involving alleged assaults by private security staff; and whether any analysis has been carried out to determine why civil liability may be accepted where criminal prosecution was not possible. [64453/25]

235. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether An Garda Síochána has conducted any review of investigative standards, evidence-gathering practices, CCTV retention, or venue cooperation in cases involving alleged assaults by private security staff where criminal prosecution could not be advanced. [64454/25]

236. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he will request that An Garda Síochána introduce a specific evidence protocol for incidents involving private security personnel, given the frequency of late-night, low-light, and CCTV-dependent investigations. [64455/25]

237. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of complaints which have been received by the Private Security Authority in each of the past five years relating to excessive force, assault, or misconduct by licensed door staff or venue security personnel; and the number of these complaints which resulted in licence suspension, revocation, or enforcement action. [64456/25]