Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 701: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when closed circuit television will be installed in Drogheda and Ardee in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10445/05]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 774: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the introduction of closed circuit television for Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11156/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 701 and 774 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that applications for Garda CCTV systems in both Ardee and Drogheda have been received by the CCTV advisory committee. This committee was established by the Garda commissioner to advise on all matters relating to CCTV systems. These applications are currently under consideration by the advisory committee along with applications from other cities and towns throughout the country.

It should be noted that there are already 17 CCTV schemes nationwide which are either at installation, tender or planning stages. This expansion is being implemented on a phased basis as follows: Phase 1 — Bray, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Finglas, Galway and Limerick Phase 2 — Athlone, Clondalkin, Tallaght and Waterford Phase 3 — Ballyfermot, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Ennis, Kilkenny and Sligo. Phase 1 has been completed in five of the six locations.

Installation of the CCTV systems is of necessity a detailed, complex and lengthy process. The Garda authorities are giving careful consideration to a restructuring of the manner in which these Garda CCTV systems go to tender. I am anxious to accelerate the implementation of the remaining CCTV programme and reduce as far as possible the workload of the Garda Síochána in this regard. The proposed redesign of the tender document provides an opportunity to outsource the installation of Garda CCTV systems to the greatest possible extent, making use not only of the technical but of the project management expertise in the private sector. To that end, I have asked the commissioner to submit proposals for a revised tender document for the 11 locations in the remaining two phases, with a view to achieving implementation in priority locations by the end of 2006. The inclusion of other town centre locations in the programme of Garda CCTV systems will be considered in the context of the commissioner's proposals.