The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has appointed a chair and ten ordinary members to the board of the Private Security Authority (PSA).

Four members are being reappointed – including the new chair Richard O’Farrell, who had been serving as an ordinary board member since November 2017.

Four members have been appointed after a Public Appointments Service (PAS) recruitment competition – including solicitor Aideen Neylon.

The Minister for Justice, the Garda Commissioner, and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have each nominated one member.

More women on the board

The authority is charged with managing a licensing system for the private-security industry.

The new board is being formed in accordance with the Private Securities Services Act 2004.

Minister McEntee said that the reappointments would ensure the continuation of organisational knowledge, while she also welcomed the increased number of women on the board.

“I believe that this is particularly significant, given the work of the authority, when we know that sometimes female experiences of the areas governed by the authority can be very different to those of men,” the minister added.

The full list of board members is:

• Richard O’Farrell (reappointment as chair),
• Jillian Van Turnhout (appointed after PAS competition),
• Aideen Neylon (PAS),
• Mark Griffin (PAS),
• Alan Durnan (reappointment),
• Sean Heading (reappointment),
• Ed Kenny (PAS),
• Assistant Commissioner Orla McPartlin (nominated by the Garda Commissioner),
• Una Doyle (nominated by the minister),
• David Smith (nominated for reappointment by Department of Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science),
• David McGuinness (reappointment after election by staff of the PSA).