Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 494: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number and location of those closed circuit television camera systems that are monitored by Gardaí on a 24 hour basis; the level of monitoring being applied by Gardaí across all CCTV systems in terms of man hours on a daily basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18418/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that Garda Town Centre CCTV Systems have been installed in the following locations:

Dublin north city centre — monitored at the Garda Office, O'Connell Street;

Dublin south city centre — monitored at Pearse Street Garda Station;

Cork city — monitored at Anglesea Street Garda Station;

Tralee — monitored at Tralee Garda Station;

Galway — monitored at Mill Street Garda Station;

Limerick — monitored at Henry Street Garda Station;

Bray — monitored at Bray Garda Station;

Dundalk — monitored at Dundalk Garda Station;

Dun Laoghaire — monitored at Bray Garda Station;

Finglas — Installation ongoing.

I am further informed that the Garda Traffic Management Centre, located at the Garda DMR Headquarters, Harcourt Square, has the ability to access and monitor cameras as required from the Pearse Street/Temple Bar and O'Connell Street CCTV systems, as well as cameras attached to Dublin City Council's Traffic Management system.

Each of these CCTV systems is operated by the Garda Síochána and is equipped with technology to monitor, read and print images recorded by the system. For Garda operational reasons it would not be appropriate to indicate the precise monitoring arrangements at each location. In addition to the monitoring of images in real time, all images are recorded and can be reviewed at short notice when required. While An Garda Síochána does not have direct responsibility for monitoring community or other non-Garda CCTV systems, there is a provision for local Garda management to view images from these non-Garda systems.

I am committed to the further expansion of the Garda CCTV programme and this is ongoing. Contracts have recently been signed for Garda CCTV systems in Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Tullamore. In addition to these locations, tenders have been issued for further systems in Athlone, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dungarvan, Ennis, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Sligo, Tallaght and Waterford.