Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 540: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if closed circuit television cameras will be provided in Thomondgate and Kileely in Limerick city; if the monitoring centre in Moyross will be used as a hub to facilitate this development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6511/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Closed circuit television, CCTV, systems for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing are installed in areas to which the general public routinely have access such as town centres and fall into two distinct categories: Garda CCTV systems and community based CCTV systems. I am informed by the Garda authorities that all applications for Garda CCTV systems must be prepared in co-operation with the local Garda district and divisional officers and must receive their full support. Applications are then considered by the CCTV advisory committee which makes a recommendation, through the Garda Commissioner, to me.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that no applications for the provision of Garda CCTV cameras in the Thomondgate or Kileely areas of Limerick city have been received by the CCTV advisory committee from local Garda management to date. I am further informed that because the CCTV monitoring station located in Moyross community enterprise centre is not under the control of the Garda Síochána, it is unaware of any plans to use the centre to monitor cameras in the Thomondgate or Kileely areas.

I launched the community based CCTV scheme last year in response to a demonstrated demand from local communities for the provision of CCTV systems. The purpose of the scheme is to support local communities which wish to install and maintain CCTV security systems in their area, with the aim of increasing public safety and reducing the risk of anti-social and criminal activity. The closing date for receipt of applications was 20 September 2005.

The community based CCTV scheme offered two stages or options designed to meet the requirements of communities in both of these situations. Stage one offered pre-development supports and possible funding for organisations or groups not yet ready to develop their proposals fully or utilise funds. The stage two process offered a direct application process, to access funds, to those organisations which could demonstrate an ability to develop and deliver a CCTV programme immediately. Identification of camera locations, areas to be covered and monitoring centres are a matter for the community group making the application for funding.

More than €1 million in grant aid has already been allocated to 37 communities under the scheme and many of these could see their CCTV systems in operation before the end of the year. I plan to make a further call for proposals under the scheme in the coming months and it is open to any community group in Limerick, including those in the Thomondgate and Kileely areas, to submit an application for funding under this scheme.