Success of SIA Licensing in Northern Ireland

20 December 2010

SIA licensing has now been in place in Northern Ireland for over a year.

In the past 12 months 9,163 licences have been issued to individuals living in the country and there are 51 companies in the Approved Contractor Scheme based or operating in Northern Ireland. During the past year our investigators have conducted operations throughout Northern Ireland, carrying out targeted checks of more than 300 security operatives. Our most recent inspections show a compliance rate of 99.5%. Chief executive Bill Butler said: "The level of compliance we have seen in just the first year of licensing demonstrates that the security industry in Northern Ireland has recognised the value of SIA regulation, and that operatives and companies have worked hard to ensure that they meet the legal requirements. It is also very encouraging to see so many ACS companies operating in Northern Ireland, as well as the high number of licences issued to individuals."