House alarms in Ireland: what to know before you choose one

That is your choice, and it is not the first thing to spend money on. An Garda Síochána says intruder alarms are an effective deterrent, but that an alarm “is not a replacement for good physical security” (opens in a new tab). It is a back-up to good locks and good habits.

Two figures from the Gardaí’s winter campaign, published on 1 October 2026, show where to start:

• •78.8% of residential burglaries (opens in a new tab) happen between 4pm and 8am, in the twilight and night-time hours.
• •Over the last three winters, an unsecured door was the way in for 23.9% of residential burglaries (opens in a new tab).

So the free steps come first. These are the Gardaí’s own (opens in a new tab):

Our home security checklist works through doors, windows, lighting and the rest. If you then want an alarm, the rest of this page helps you choose one well.

Most systems have the same parts, which the Garda leaflet on intruder alarms (opens in a new tab) describes: sensors on doors and windows or movement sensors in rooms, a control panel, a keypad to set it, and a siren or bell inside and in a box on the outside wall. What differs is what happens when it goes off.

Each kind can be wired or wireless. The Gardaí say the choice can depend on cost, the design of your home, where it is (opens in a new tab), and whether it is already wired for an alarm.

The Gardaí recommend that every alarm meets the European standard EN 50131 (you may also see it written I.S. EN 50131). Meeting it, or the older Irish standard IS 199 that it replaced, is one of the conditions for a Garda response (opens in a new tab).

For a guaranteed Garda response, you need a Unique Reference Number (URN) issued by the Gardaí. A URN is only issued where the alarm (opens in a new tab):

• •meets approved standards,
• •was installed by an approved installer, and
• •is monitored by an approved monitoring company.

So a bell-only alarm, or one that only rings your own phone, does not meet the third condition.

The Gardaí also say that since 31 January 2008 every alarm system, homes included, should have dual verification (opens in a new tab): an alarm is verified by two or more detectors sending two separate signals to the monitoring station. It is part of the Garda alarm policy, which aims to cut false alarms.

By law, any company, partnership or sole trader that installs or maintains an intruder alarm for you must hold a licence from the Private Security Authority (opens in a new tab) (PSA), the State body that licenses the private security industry. The same goes for CCTV and access control.

The law covers you too. The PSA says that anyone who employs an unlicensed alarm contractor, householders included, is also breaking the law (opens in a new tab).

A licence means something. To get one, a contractor has to show it meets the required standard (for alarm installers, IS EN 50131-1 together with IS EN 50131-7 (opens in a new tab)), be vetted by An Garda Síochána, pass the PSA’s fit and proper assessment, and hold a tax clearance certificate. A licence lasts two years (opens in a new tab), and the PSA can suspend or revoke it.

Then find installers near you. Our directory lists alarm installers that publish a PSA licence number on their own website, in alphabetical order, and nobody pays to be listed. Check the number on the register yourself, as above.

It may. The CCPC, the State’s consumer body, lists an alarm among the things that may get you a home insurance discount (opens in a new tab), with an extra discount if it is monitored. Security locks, a smoke detector and living in a neighbourhood watch area are on the same list.

Each insurer sets its own rules. As one example, the insurer 123.ie says an alarm counts as “approved” (opens in a new tab) when it is installed by a company compliant with Private Security Authority regulations, to current European standards.