Security firms and banks get four months to clean up their acts

SECURITY companies and banks have been given four months to clean up their act or have tough standards imposed on them.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said banks would have to pour millions of euro into meeting the cost of providing garda escorts.

The minister also said the Brinks Allied van raided on Wednesday was not supposed to be carrying cash and that no attempt had been made to notify its scheduled garda escort it was transporting cash.

Speaking after an emergency meeting with security firms and banks, Mr McDowell gave the industry a deadline of 120 days to bring in voluntary professional standards.

“What I’ve indicated to participants is that the voluntary way of going about this is all very well, but if there isn’t by 120 days from now a clear voluntary code of practice which is in effect and is effective, I will have to consider licensing the cash-in-transit business on a statutory basis.”

He said the standards must include:

* Cash boxes, inaccessible to staff, which destroy the cash if interfered with.

* GPS tracking systems to locate all vans.

* New systems at cash holding centres to prevent Northern Bank-style raids.

* CCTV inside and outside all bank branches, credit unions and post offices.

* Professional training.

Mr McDowell said the security companies, banks and An Post had agreed at the meeting to bring in an effective code.

He said that under the Garda Síochána Bill he can impose charges on the banks to meet the cost of garda escorts.

“The cost of escorts is in excess of €9 million per annum and the banks are contributing in the order of €3m. I made it clear the banks should expect I will be filling in that gap.”

He said Brinks had said that it could not stand over the lapse that led to Wednesday’s €2.4m heist in north Dublin, when the security staff stopped at a service station to buy coffee.

One of the security workers was confronted on his way back by a masked armed man who ordered him to drive to a nearby sportsground, where a white transit van took the cash takings.

Mr McDowell said there was “no question” that the garda escort was supposed to meet the van at the Brinks depot in Clonshaugh. He said the garda escort was scheduled to meet the van in the city.

“There was no indication given to gardaí that it was carrying a large sum of money and no arrangements were even attempted to inform the gardaí of that situation.”

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said he was “very happy” with the investigation. He said the white van used in the raid had been found in Dromad, near the border in Co Louth, and that it was being forensically examined.

Meanwhile, SIPTU warned that cash deliveries and ATM services could be disrupted because of a protest by cash-in-transit security staff.

Branch secretary Kevin McMahon said that the 600 staff working in the industry were angry that their fears over health and safety were being minimised.