The Tanaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell, T.D., today announced a major expansion of the Garda CCTV town centre scheme. A total of 17 locations are included. Contracts for Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Tullamore, have already been signed by the Garda authorities and implementation of these systems is now underway.
Today's announcement means that the Garda authorities will seek requests for tender for the installation of a further fourteen CCTV systems in the following locations:
Athlone, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dungarvan, Ennis, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Sligo, Tallaght and Waterford.
Tenders are expected to issue by the end of this month and work on the installation of CCTV in these areas will be undertaken immediately on selection of a preferred contractor, or contractors. The Tanaiste and the Garda Commissioner both agree that it is important to harness modern technology to keep our streets and citizens safe and over 7.5m Euro has been provided in the Garda Vote for 2007 for these projects.
The Tanaiste said "The implementation of Garda CCTV systems as well as the Community CCTV systems will provide a strong deterrent to crime and a powerful investigative tool for An Garda Siochana in the fight against crime."
15 February 2007
Note to editors
Under the CCTV implementation programme, Garda CCTV systems have been implemented in Bray, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Galway, Limerick and Tralee and implementation of the Finglas CCTV system is nearing completion.
The Garda CCTV programme is being progressed in tandem with the Community Based CCTV Scheme. This scheme is a joint scheme together with Minister Eamon O Cuiv, to provide financial assistance to local organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with implementing their own local CCTV system.
The Scheme offers two types of funding:
- Stage 1 offers a pre-development grant of up to 5,000 Euro to enable qualifying applicants investigate the need for CCTV in their area and to complete a detailed proposal, for submission under Stage 2.
- Stage 2 is a direct Application Process for organisations who consider that they can develop and deliver a CCTV Programme immediately. It enables communities to avail of grant aid funding of up to 100,000 Euro from this Department to install a CCTV system in their area. In addition, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has given a commitment to provide successful applications from RAPID areas with a further grant to a maximum of 100,000 Euro subject to the total grant-aid from both Departments not exceeding 200,000 Euro or 100% of the capital costs of the project, whichever is the lesser.
Pobal have been engaged to administer the Scheme on behalf of the Department.
Following grant aiding under stage 1, in the order of 20 applications for stage two funding have been received by Pobal and these are currently being assessed.