Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am anxious to ensure all interested groups in urban and rural areas will take advantage of the grants scheme available in my Department. Last year I announced an annual sum of €1 million for three years which would be ringfenced for community CCTV system grants. The number of applications to date is lower than I wished for.

I ask all Deputies, including Deputy Aylward, to spread the word that these grants are available. Support and guidance is also available to help interested groups apply for the funding. I strongly encourage interested groups to contact my Department for assistance. We have set up a dedicated email address for this purpose, which is communitycctv@justice.ie. Bearing in mind that all applications approved to date have been from local authorities, any local authorities that have not yet applied may also find it useful to consider consulting their counterparts in other areas. I am not sure if I have an application from Kilkenny but I have an application approved for the adjoining county of Wexford. I am anxious to ensure - I see three rural Deputies in the House - that we provide the appropriate level of information to community groups to allow them to make the application. Grant aid and assistance in my Department will be up to €40,000 per application.

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