Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:1035 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will give an update report on the installation of CCTV in Cork City. [1693/01]
Written Answers. - Closed Circuit Television Systems.
Sixteen companies tendered for the supply, installation and commissioning of a Garda CCTV system – comprising 29 cameras – in Cork city centre. Following an evaluation process, the contract was awarded to SKS Communications Limited.
Fibre optic cabling was chosen as the transmission media for the Cork city centre CCTV system. The request for tender document for the CCTV project requested a fibre optic transmission system installed in underground ducting to be provided by Cork Corporation. The completion of the project was contingent on the availability of ducts and the identification of each cable route by the successful tenderer. The option of using a microwave transmission medium was also specified in the request for tender document but most companies submitted tenders for the fibre optic option only.
SKS discovered during the course of the installation of the CCTV system that major parts of the ducting were not in place and that in other cases ducts were blocked. A ducting survey was carried out by SKS and this survey showed that available ducting did not fully correspond with that which was previously understood to be available. Discussions then took place between representatives of the Garda authorities and Cork Corporation in an effort to have the necessary ducting installed.
It is understood that the corporation was unable to undertake this work and, consequently, arrangements for the carrying out of the work have been made by the Garda authorities and my Department. Approval has been obtained for the placing of the contract for the ducting with SKS as an add-on to the existing contract with the company for the supply, installation and commissioning of the Cork city CCTV system.
I understand from the Garda authorities that works are now progressing on the installation of the CCTV system in Cork city with an expected completion date of May 2001. The final cost of the project is likely to be in excess of IR£800,000.