Closed Circuit Television Systems

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

Questions (136, 137)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

136. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality what best practice guidelines for the installation and operation of CCTV are used by the Garda and his Department. [16972/14]

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Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

137. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is concerned at the use of CCTV and racial profiling by the Garda in view of the recent controversy regarding entering Traveller children in the Garda PULSE system. [16973/14]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together.

CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access, such as town centres, fall into two distinct categories: community-based CCTV systems and Garda CCTV systems. Garda CCTV systems are planned and implemented on the basis of the Garda Commissioner's identified operational needs and priorities. The operation of these systems is governed by section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 which provides a legislative basis for the operation of closed circuit television in public places. There are specific Garda requirements in relation to the management of the relevant CCTV material which are supervised and audited by the Data Protection Commissioner.

The operation of the Community-based CCTV Schemes, which are established in accordance with section 38(3)(c) of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, are governed by the code of practice for Community based CCTV schemes. This Code of Practice is available on the Department of Justice and Equality website: www.justice.ie. The management of the PULSE system is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. I am informed by the Commissioner that PULSE does not solely capture information on offenders, but is also used to store information on Garda interactions with individuals, whether adults or children, such as victims of crime and persons injured in road traffic accidents. All persons are subject to the same PULSE recording policy and procedures. The Gardaí have assured me they do not engage in discriminatory ethnic profiling.

I am, however, considering this issue more generally in the context of the report which I have received from the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, into the circumstances surrounding the taking into care of children of two Roma families.