Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister and welcome him to the Seanad. I wish to raise serious issues regarding the roll-out of CCTV surveillance in all our towns and villages across the country. It can offer several key benefits for public safety and well-being. CCTV systems act as a visible deterrent to individuals or groups considering illegal activities. In showing them they are being monitored, CCTV discourages such behaviour and prevents crime, including antisocial behaviour, theft, vandalism, assault, illegal dumping, drug trafficking in our villages and speeding through our villages. The benefits make everybody's life a lot safer. People are less likely to commit crimes such as theft, vandalism and assault if they know they are being monitored. CCTV helps monitor public spaces, ensuring incidents and emergencies such as accidents or disturbances can be quickly detected and responded to by gardaí. Communities' peace of mind and sense of security can be increased by knowing this is in place, helping residents feel safer in their homes and in public spaces. I want to highlight what happened in a local village. Tarbert is in north Kerry. During Hallowe'en night, a gang of up to 50 youths, who were dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, took over the village between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. It was a nasty situation. They took control of the village and set off fireworks. They had a fireworks battle. They interfered with traffic and the public, causing chaos. This was not a safe environment, as fireworks were set off near homes and there was intimidation of passing traffic and people, which led to fear among families who were out trick-or-treating with their children. I met residents in that locality in the Tarbert Community Centre and almost 100 locals turned up for that public meeting. I promised them that night that there would be extra surveillance, as in the installation of CCTV, to protect the residents from disruption occurring on the next Hallowe'en night. Every one of them agreed with this.

CCTV will protect businesses from theft, thus supporting all our local businesses. They are being exploited currently. CCTV will also serve our fantastic tourism market and people visiting Kerry in general. Kerry is the tourism capital of Ireland. The installation of CCTV means tourists will feel confident enough to visit places in Kerry where their safety is prioritised. CCTV can also provide evidence in investigations, helping to identify perpetrators, solve crimes and ensure that justice is served. In addition to crime prevention, CCTV can monitor traffic flow, detect accidents and ensure that roads are safe for all road users.

To finish, CCTV will play a critical role in enhancing safety, deterring crime and supporting communities, the Garda and all local authorities. The installation of CCTV will make this country the safest there is. I look forward to hearing the response of the Minister.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this important matter. I am well aware of the usefulness and significance of CCTV footage from my time as Minister for Justice and, indeed, before. Last Friday, I was in Anglesea Street Garda station in Cork where I was given a presentation on the vast array of CCTV footage that is available to gardaí as a result of CCTV cameras placed in Cork city. I saw the same when I visited Store Street Garda station in Dublin. So, CCTV is hugely beneficial. It assists gardaí in the investigation of crime.

I fully accept what the Senator said, that CCTV in towns and villages can contribute to feelings of safety. They provide a level of reassurance to citizens and individuals and can deter criminal activity simply through their presence. However, it should be noted that the provision of CCTV for the purposes of crime prevention and public safety are matters for local authorities and the Garda Commissioner. That is the situation under law. I, as the Minister for Justice, have no role in deciding on where CCTV cameras should be installed and I cannot direct local authorities to install CCTV in a given location. In many respects, dealing with the issue of what happened in Tarbert a while ago is a matter that Kerry County Council needs to engage with An Garda Síochána on so that they can put forward proposals and avail of the law that is there in order to install cameras.

The Department of Justice plays a significant role in supporting local authorities in installing and maintaining community CCTV schemes. Since 2017, my Department has administered a grant aid scheme supporting groups wishing to establish community-based CCTV systems in their areas. The CCTV grant scheme was extended in 2019 to not only cover new CCTV systems, but also to provide funding for the extension or upgrading of existing CCTV systems that were incomplete or obsolete. Applicants may also seek a one-off grant of up to €5,000 for minor maintenance costs. Grants of over €950,000 for 36 community CCTV schemes have been approved to date.

I want Senator Kennelly and other Senators to be aware that a further €1 million in funding has been made available towards the development of community-based CCTV schemes in 2024. Applications for funding are now open and can be made directly by the relevant local authorities. I appeal to and urge local authorities to seek to avail of those schemes. This level of funding underlines my commitment to working with communities to ensure that everyone feels safe. The Department is also committed to putting in place robust legislative measures to support community CCTV schemes. There must be a lawful basis for the installation and use of those cameras and schemes. That is why the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, which was signed into law in December 2023, provides for a new regime for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes. In order to introduce the new regime for CCTV, Part 5 of the Act must be commenced. Under the Act, there is a new requirement for the Garda Commissioner to develop a code of practice in respect of CCTV. This will set out the procedures and standards to be followed, as well as the new rules around confidentiality, security storage, access, protection of data and data subject rights. I am advised by Garda authorities that work is ongoing regarding the development of this code of practice. I urge An Garda Síochána to expedite this matter.

I fully accept the usefulness and importance of CCTV cameras in an area. We all need to put more pressure on local authorities to try to advance this idea. I know they have concerns about being data processors or data holders, but that has not precluded Cork city or Dublin city from availing of these cameras to such a good extent. I urge local authorities in other places to do the same.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. There lies his problem, namely, with the local authorities, the general data protection regulation, GDPR, and data control. It is for An Garda Síochána to take responsibility for data control. That is how this can be presented to the public in the context of what can be used in statute law. I welcome it. Since 2023, we have seen disturbances on the streets of Dublin. In the context of these incidents, CCTV footage led to many people being brought to trial and some being given jail time. I look forward to coming back to this matter again when I get a response from Kerry County Council on its platform and pathway for making Kerry the safest county. I also look forward to seeing what pathways other counties intend to take.

I raised this issue at local level. There is a financial burden that the councils will not take on, GDPR aside. I will do more research into this to make sure that communities such as those in Tarbert and other villages in north Kerry are not burdened financially or by GDPR and that these cameras will be rolled out for their safety.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I note the Senator's point about the CCTV footage from the Dublin riots. He is correct in stating that it was very helpful to An Garda Síochána in seeking to identify and prosecute individuals involved in the riots.

I am aware of the confusion that can sometimes exist around the process for local authorities to apply. The Senator will be aware that I commenced the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 last week. Under this Act, provision is made for the establishment of local community safety partnerships. These partnerships will include elected councillors and individuals from a locality. I hope they will have a significant say when it comes recommending to local authorities that requests for CCTV schemes in various areas should be submitted.

A key principle of the report by the Commission on the Future of Policing is that community safety requires multi-agency co-operation and that the agencies involved need to work in conjunction with An Garda Síochána. The report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together Departments and State agencies involved in harm prevention in order to promote local community safety. That is why residents, local authority staff, councillors and members of An Garda Síochána will all be represented on these community safety partnerships. They will be best placed to know how CCTV can be appropriately utilised in their areas. The expertise really lies at a local level.

Some 36 partnerships will be established under the legislation. These will be based in each local authority area. Each local community safety partnership will be supported by a full-time co-ordinator and a full-time administrator, resourced by the Department of Justice and will be led by a voluntary chair. Regulations are being made under section 114 of the Act to provide for the establishment and operation of the partnerships as soon as possible. They will be the appropriate forum for people to use to request the provision of CCTV cameras.