Mr. Diarmuid Cronin:

CCTV is an issue that is constantly raised at community meetings, and the major success of CCTV is seen in the divisions where it has been introduced on a fairly widespread basis. The area I know best is the west Cork division. Communities in west Cork, in co-operation with An Garda Síochána, the county council and local sponsors, have raised the necessary finance to install CCTV in various towns and villages throughout the division. The success of the CCTV can be seen in the division's crime statistics, which are among the lowest in Ireland. It is a very large area and it would take a person about two hours to drive in any direction north, south, east or west. Crime has a way of thriving in remote areas, but CCTV can be important at the choke points. Communities and gardaí are very good at identifying where the choke points are. In a large division like west Cork there are bridges and intersections that are difficult to avoid and must be crossed. The difficulty for many communities is in finding the necessary funding. Anything that can be done nationally to make a contribution towards the funding is really the game changer.