Mr. Niall Garvey:

I will first answer Senator Bacik's second query on victim support and I will then ask my colleague Mr. Diarmuid Cronin to speak about community alert and CCTV.

The feedback received by Muintir na Tíre from victims of crime is that they would like more support and more feedback from the Garda. The EU directive, which has been partially implemented, does provide for that level of support. The Garda generally issues two letters to a victim, one at the beginning of an investigation and one when a perpetrator is identified. The feedback from victims is that this is not enough, as the correspondences can be too far apart. In order for victims to receive more feedback, they would like to have personal contact with a member of the force who is investigating the crime. There are restrictions on what victims can be told, but at least they could be reassured that something is happening. In a case that may take two years to bring to fruition it can be a long time in which to hear nothing. E-mail has been suggested as a quick way of keeping victims informed about a case's progression. Muintir na Tíre would concentrate on promoting victim support through the Garda, as that is what victims want and appreciate.