Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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286. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if extra assistance is available for poorer communities that wish to apply for the recently announced funding to install CCTV but cannot raise the matching funding required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21279/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department has launched a community-based CCTV grant-aid scheme to assist groups in the establishment of community-based CCTV systems in their local areas.

Under the scheme, eligible community groups can apply for grant-aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000. Upon approval of the grant, the applicant will receive an up-front payment of 50% of the grant with the balance to be paid when the system is fully operational. It is intended that the scheme will run for 3 years with funding of some €1 million being made available each year.

Full details of the scheme, including guidelines and other relevant documentation are available to download from my Department's website - www.justice.ie.

Some of the key requirements of the scheme are that the proposal must

- be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee,

- have the prior support of the relevant Local Authority, which must also act as Data Controller – this is a long-standing statutory requirement, set out in the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 289 of 2006), for the establishment of community CCTV systems generally, and

- have the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner in accordance with Section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

The scheme is modelled closely on the previous grant-aid scheme operated by Pobal on behalf of my Department between 2005 and 2013 under which some 45 Community-based CCTV systems were established operating in a mix of urban and rural environments.

I am keen to ensure that interested groups take full advantage of the available funding. The scheme is currently intended to cover up to 60% of the costs of establishing these systems. Applicants for grant aid under the scheme are not precluded from applying for funding from any other sources which may assist in making up the balance of funding required. Guidance is available from my officials to provide any clarifications or assistance required, with a dedicated email address available for that purpose - communitycctv@justice.ie.