The PSA Ireland

What The PSA Ireland does

The Private Security Authority (PSA Ireland) is a statutory regulatory body established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, operating under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. It is the sole statutory authority responsible for licensing and regulating private security contractors and employees across 14-15 sectors in Ireland, including door supervision, security guarding, event security, electronic security installation (CCTV, intruder alarms, access control), locksmith services, private investigation, cash-in-transit, and safe supply. The PSA currently oversees a register of 1,383 contractor companies and 43,346 licensed employees, and processes approximately 14,800 licence applications annually (as of 2019). It is headquartered in Tipperary Town with a nationwide network of regional inspectors conducting both announced and unannounced compliance inspections.

The PSA's core product offering consists of contractor licensing services (€1,000 administration fee plus a turnover-based component of €250 to €25,000, on a 2-year cycle), employee licensing services (€30 to €220 per licence, on a 3-year cycle), appeal administration (€125 contractor / €25 employee), and replacement document issuance (€20). Distribution is via two online self-service portals (psaonlineapplication.com and renewals.psa.gov.ie), physical mail, phone/email support, in-person service at the Tipperary head office, and the regional inspector network. Marketing and stakeholder engagement occur through LinkedIn, Facebook, the PSA Watch newsletter, annual reports, and the public searchable registers of licensed contractors and employees.

The PSA's business model is a hybrid of regulatory licence fees and direct government appropriation; revenue is not publicly disclosed. The Authority is governed by a Board appointed by the Minister, with stakeholder representation from An Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, private security employers and employees, and staff. Current Chief Executive is John Phelan, appointed September 2024. Enforcement powers include document seizure, prosecution of unlicensed operators, and a sanctions regime spanning warnings and cautions through licence revocation.

Name

The PSA Ireland

Legal name

The Private Security Authority

Website

https://psa-gov.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Industry Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Security Sector Governance & Police Reform (BPADAGAI)

Keywords

• Security industry licensing
• Regulatory compliance services
• Statutory enforcement functions
• Industry standards regulation
• Public sector licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tipperary Town

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Contractor Licensing Fees: Contractor licence fees consist of an administration fee (€1,000) plus a turnover-based fee ranging from €250 to €25,000 depending on annual turnover. New entrants without prior turnover only pay the €1,000 admin fee. Licences are issued for 2-year periods.
2. Employee Licensing Fees: Employee licence fees range from €30 (temporary event licence) to €220 (combined door supervisor and security guard licence). Individual sector licences range from €90 to €150. Licences are typically issued for 3-year periods.
3. Appeal Fees: Appeal fees of €125 for contractor licensing appeals and €25 for employee licensing appeals.
4. Replacement Document Fees: Replacement licence or ID card issuance fee of €20 per document.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Private Security Authority (PSA) is Ireland's statutory regulatory body that licenses and regulates private security contractors and employees across 14–15 sectors including security guarding, door supervision, alarm/CCTV installation, locksmith services, private investigation, cash-in-transit, and safe supply. It issues licences to businesses and individuals, maintains public registers, conducts compliance inspections, and enforces the Private Security Services Acts through prosecution powers.

Product overview

The Private Security Authority (PSA) Ireland is a statutory regulatory body under the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Rather than a technology product company, it provides a suite of licensing, compliance, and enforcement services for the private security industry in Ireland. The core offering consists of contractor and employee licensing across 14+ security sectors, supported by online application and renewal portals, public register searches for verifying licence status, and an appeals process administered through the Private Security Appeal Board. The PSA also conducts enforcement activities through regional inspectors, issues identity badges to licensed employees, and maintains standards through approved auditing bodies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contractor Licensing Services Statutory licensing service for private security contractor businesses (companies, partnerships, sole traders) operating in Ireland across sectors including Door Supervisors, Security Equipment Installers, Locksmiths, Private Investigators, Enforcement Guards, Safe Suppliers, Security Guarding, and Cash-in-Transit. Includes initial application and 2-year renewal cycle.
• Employee Licensing Services Statutory licensing service for individual security employees working in Ireland across sectors including Door Supervisor, Security Guard, Cash-in-Transit operative, Private Investigator, Monitoring Centre operator, Enforcement Guard, and Event Security personnel. Includes initial application and 3-year renewal cycle.
• Appeals Process Formal appeals process for applicants or licence holders aggrieved by PSA licensing decisions, administered independently by the Private Security Appeal Board. Covers appeals against refusals, suspensions, revocations, reprimands, warnings, cautions, advice, or variations of licences.
• Public Register Search Services Public searchable registers (PSA Registered Contractors and PSA Registered Employees) allowing consumers, businesses, and event organisers to verify the licence status of security contractor companies (1,383 entries) and individual security employees (43,346 entries).
• Enforcement and Inspection Services Compliance inspections and enforcement activities conducted through a nationwide network of Regional Inspectors, including announced and unannounced inspections of licensed operators, investigation of complaints, prosecution of unlicensed operators, and imposition of sanctions (revocation, suspension, reprimand, warning, caution, advice).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40,000 contractors and employees licensed across 14+ sectors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED) — NSW Police: NSW Police's specialist directorate responsible for licensing and regulating the private security industry in New South Wales under the Security Industry Act 1997. Issues master and operator licences across security sub-sectors analogous to those regulated by PSA Ireland.
• Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority (New Zealand): New Zealand's licensing body for individual private security personnel under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010. Operates a similar licence-class structure (guards, investigators, etc.) to PSA Ireland but at a smaller scale and within a different jurisdiction.
• Police Licensing & Regulatory Department (PLRD) — Singapore Police Force: Singapore's police-led regulator for private security companies and personnel under the Police Force Act. Functions overlap closely with PSA Ireland (licensing, vetting, enforcement of security service providers) but is embedded within the national police force rather than operating as a standalone statutory body.
• Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS): California's state regulator for private security operators, security guards, alarm companies, locksmiths, and private investigators. Comparable function to PSA Ireland across a comparable roster of security sub-sectors, but operates in a different US state jurisdiction rather than competing directly.

Direct peers

• Security Industry Authority (SIA): The UK's statutory regulator for the private security industry, licensing individuals and businesses under the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Operates a near-identical model to PSA Ireland — turnover-based contractor fees, sector-specific employee licences, public registers, and enforcement powers — making it the closest functional peer.
• Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA): South Africa's statutory regulator for the private security industry under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001. Issues business and individual licences across security sectors, maintains a public register, and conducts compliance enforcement — directly mirroring PSA Ireland's regulatory scope and business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePSAIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-private-security-authority-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The PSA Ireland