Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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717. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the new funding in place for community alert schemes to erect cameras and other such equipment; how the schemes can apply for funding; if he will provide a list of those schemes that have received funding. [34459/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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The Community Alert Scheme is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent announcement that an amount of €50,000 has been allocated towards the cost of a community led pilot rural CCTV initiative, with the possibility of the pilot being rolled out to one or two other locations in the near future, with a potential €130,000 in total being made available for the project. This pilot is in the very early stages, so no groups have received funding to date. The rural community-based CCTV pilot will provide financial assistance towards meeting the capital costs associated with the establishment of a rural community CCTV system. It is envisaged that CCTV cameras will be located in strategic positions in rural locations, with the aim of increasing public safety and deterring criminal or anti-social behaviour.

This will act not only as a deterrent but also assist with the possible prosecution of offenders through facilitating the detection and investigation of offences as well as providing recorded evidence of occurrences of incidents and also facilitating quicker responses.

I will continue to work closely with the Minister for Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána who have the lead role in crime prevention and combatting anti-social and disorderly behaviour and ensuring peace of mind for people who live in more rural locations.