Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
166 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if applications have been received from towns in County Mayo for a Garda closed circuit television system; and the position regarding the provision of grant aid for these projects. [17039/04]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware Castlebar is one of 17 locations set to receive new Garda town centre CCTV systems, subject to the availability of funds. These locations are: Athlone, Ballyfermot, Bray, Carlow, Castlebar, Clondalkin, Clonmel, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Ennis, Finglas, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, Sligo, Tallaght and Waterford.
Phase 1 of the scheme comprises Bray, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Finglas, Galway and Limerick and the installation of these systems is at various stages of completion. Phase 2 of the programme of CCTV implementation will consist of Athlone, Clondalkin, Tallaght and Waterford. Phase 3 comprises Ballyfermot, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Ennis, Kilkenny and Sligo. The planning for the installation of these systems is scheduled to commence later this year.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that an application for a Garda CCTV system in Ballina has been received by the CCTV advisory committee. This committee was established by the Garda Commissioner to advise on all matters relating to CCTV systems. This application is currently under consideration by the advisory committee along with applications from other cities and towns throughout the country.
A grant-aid scheme has been launched to facilitate community based groups who wish to install their own local CCTV system. Grant assistance of up to €100,000 will, subject to the availability of funds, be obtainable from my Department towards the cost of such schemes. It will be up to the community groups, in conjunction with the relevant local authority, to install, maintain and monitor the community-based CCTV schemes. To qualify for grant aid, certain minimum standards will have to be met and the Garda will have to be allowed access to the system when and as they require it. The Department has received a significant number of expressions of interest — in excess of 200 — in the community-based CCTV scheme. An application prospectus has been prepared by the Department which provides information on how to apply for grant-aid funding, 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.
A code of practice, drawn up in co-operation with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, and detailed technical specifications, drawn up by the Garda Síochána, are almost complete.
When both the code of practice and the technical specifications have been finalised my Department will issue copies of same to all communities who expressed an interest in the community-based CCTV scheme and any applications subsequently received will be evaluated and processed. Expressions of interest in this community-based CCTV scheme have been received from Achill Sound, Ballina and Castlebar.
