asked the Minister for Justice if legislation will be enacted to govern the operations of private detective agencies and if he will make a statement of the matter.
Written Answers. - Private Detective Agencies.
111.
Limerick East): Before any such legislation could reasonably be proposed to the Oireachtas, it would be necessary to devise a system of control (including the setting and maintenance of standards) that would be effective and fair and capable of being enforced at a cost that was not excessive in relation to the scope of the problem it was intended to deal with. There are certain similarities between the issues that arise in this area and those that arise in relation to security firms, concerning which there have been several parliamentary questions in recent years, the most recent being on 6 June last. If there is any decision by the Government to introduce such legislation it will be announced in the normal course.