Seán Barrett
Question:328 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a closed circuit television system will be installed in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. [6021/99]
Written Answers. - Closed Circuit Television Systems.
The advisory committee that was established by the Garda Commissioner to examine CCTV systems as an aid to policing and to evaluate each application has received in excess of 31 applications for the installation of Garda CCTV systems, including one from Dún Laoghaire. At present six locations have been prioritised for the installation of Garda CCTV systems as an aid to policing. The prioritised locations are as follows: Bray, Cork, Dublin South Central, Dundalk, Finglas and Limerick. The remaining applications, including Dún Laoghaire, are still under consideration by the committee and it is anticipated that further systems will be scheduled in due course as staffing and budgetary resources permit.
Each of the applications currently under consideration will be prioritised with regard to the respective levels of crime in the locations in question and the likely impact of a Garda CCTV system on same. Applications are also evaluated from a technical and telecommunications perspective. It is also only fair to state in this regard that the commitment to existing schemes, as well as those prioritised by the advisory committee, limits the scope for the extension of Garda CCTV systems to other areas at the present time.
Funding for Garda CCTV systems is normally provided jointly by local community interests and my Department. It has been the experience of the Garda authorities that the cost of an efficient and effective CCTV system is, on average, £20,000 to £25,000 per camera. Each application submitted must also be prepared in co-operation with the local Garda district and divisional officers and receive their full support.