Closed Circuit Television Systems.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004

Tuesday, 27 April 2004

Questions (652)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

711 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason his Department’s prospectus, Grant Aid Funding Towards Community Based CCTV, refers applicants to the technical specification and code of practice on his Department’s website when this information is not available; the way in which a person can locate this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11495/04]

Written answers

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

As the Deputy is aware, an application prospectus on the community based CCTV scheme has been prepared by my Department which provides information on how to apply for grant aid, outlines the application process and identifies the main issues that applicants will need to consider. Copies of this prospectus are available on request from my Department's Garda administration division.

At the time the prospectus was published, both the technical specifications, drawn up by the Garda Síochána, and the code of practice, drawn up in co-operation with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, had not been finalised. As difficulties arose in finalising these documents it was not considered appropriate to make them available either via my Department's website or by other means. This action was taken to ensure that those groups, which wished to submit formal applications, did not put themselves to undue expense in compiling proposals, which ultimately might not be compliant with the technical and legal requirements of the scheme.

Any individual or group who expressed an interest in the scheme was informed that no application could be considered until such time as both the code of practice and the technical specifications have been finalised. They were further informed that their details were recorded and that my Department would issue copies of both documents to them as soon as the relevant documents had been finalised. Any applications subsequently received will be evaluated and processed. It is anticipated that the technical specifications and the code of practice will be finalised shortly.