Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The frustration arising from the failure of this scheme to kick on has been debated here and in the Chamber. Frustration is shared by members of the Opposition, the Minister, who has spoken frankly about this matter, and the Department. The scheme is motivated by genuine concern to help communities but its format has not worked, which is borne out by the level of take-up.

On the broader issue, CCTV does work and I have given examples of previous schemes going back three Administrations. Deputy Kelly referred to his time as Minister for the Environment and Local Government and he is correct that responsibility has moved from Department to Department. Previously, the Department of Justice and Equality ran a scheme in a different format which worked well. My county benefitted from it and the chamber of commerce was the applicant which drew down the funds. It has been successful because the Garda use it as a pre-emptive tool and to help with traffic management around the towns. It has an impact.

We must ask why CCTV is wanted and if cameras are located in the right areas. The crucial question is who are the applicants. In many cases, community-minded volunteers do not have the wherewithal or fundraising capacity to make the application in the first instance. Given that the joint policing committees are effectively a collaboration between the Garda and local authorities, the local authorities need to apply for the scheme. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government must work with the Department of Justice and Equality if this scheme is to be successful across the country. Otherwise, it will only operate on an ad hoc basis, where it works in a small number of communities but will be largely unsuccessful in the rest of the country.