Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 February 2005
347 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will report on the regulations for the use of security alarms in residential properties, particularly in regard to the noise pollution caused by the incessant ringing of alarms that are not deactivated. [3042/05]
View answerThere are no specific regulations prescribing matters regarding the use or operation of security or intruder alarms. There are various general legislative provisions applicable to noise nuisance as well as a number of practical arrangements to reduce the incidences of unnecessary noise from alarms and to tackle persistent incidence of such noise.
Section 107 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides local authorities with powers to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit noise. In the case of a faulty alarm, a local authority may serve a notice under this section. Intruder alarms gave rise to 7% of the noise complaints made to Dublin City Council in 2003. Where the council receives a complaint, an advisory letter is issued to the owner or occupier advising of the terms of the current standards for intruder alarms systems. The National Standard Authority of Ireland published a voluntary standard specification, SI No. 199 of 1987, and operated a certification scheme to that standard which specified a minimum 15 minutes and maximum 30 minutes duration from the sounding of external alarms in buildings with the alarms being required to cease automatically after the maximum duration. A European standard for external intruder alarms has now replaced all national standards and incorporates considerably stricter controls regarding minimum and maximum duration for the sounding of alarms. The new limits are 90 seconds minimum and 15 minutes maximum. This standard has been applied by the NSAI for intruder alarms installed by certified installers since 1 March 2004. In addition, a new European standard is being developed for alarm monitoring centres, including a code of practice detailing the circumstances when the gardaí should be alerted. When adopted, this should ensure that the reporting of alarms to the gardaí is carried out in a consistent manner.
The Private Securities Services Act 2004 provides for a private security authority to licence, control and supervise installers of security equipment, including alarm systems and which has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of security services. The current and developing European standards, improved equipment and the co-operation of the installers certified by the NSAI should together ensure that the incidence of false alarms and the failure of audible alarms to cut off will be significantly reduced. Under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Noise) Regulations 1994, a local authority or any person may seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance is available from my Department or on www.environ.ie.
