60 Jobs in Security Saved

Date Published: 08-Jul-2008

AS many as 238 of the 475 jobs lost following the closure of Galway based Praetorian Security Ltd are to be salvaged by one of the company’s former development managers.

Some 120 people were let go from Praetorian’s Galway base in Oranmore when the Private Security Authority (PSA) suspended the company’s licence last month. At least 60 of these are expected to be re-employed by Compass Security Ltd, which is owned by former Praetorian manager, James Tolster.

Mr Tolster is hoping to retain half of Praetorian’s contracts to provide door security to pubs and other licensed premises and consequently retain half of the company’s staff. They have been in contact with existing clients and have offered to facilitate them in a consultancy capacity until formalities are addressed and they can begin acting as a security provider towards the end of the year.

Praetorian Security Ltd was forced to cease trading by the PSA after failing to meet its tax compliance obligations. Its licence was only suspended for three months, however, and should Praetorian become tax compliant by September, it could theoretically resume activity.

The possibility of this was dismissed by Mr Tolster, who said: “The PSA are foolish to think that they’re only suspending a licence for three months and that you can have it back in three months’ time.
That’s not the way it works – the clients will be gone and they will have no revenue coming in the interim.”

Mr Tolster was critical of this system and urged the PSA to look at alternative approach to the problem. “It’s grand suspending a licence, but what about the people they’re actually putting out of work? Look
at the 475 people gone from their jobs after the Praetorian situation.

“Perhaps they could employ some other approach by imposing a fine on the company rather than actually closing the company down. If they make a decision to close a company down it…