Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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254. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the budget allocation for the maintenance and upgrade of the Garda CCTV system in each of the years 2017 to 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16241/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, there has been an unprecedented level of investment in Garda resources across the State in recent years, including a budgetary allocation of €1.76 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2019. Significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána in terms of the Garda Fleet, ICT infrastructure and the estate.  

In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána and for the allocation of Garda resources, in light of his identified operational demands. Accordingly, decisions in relation to the introduction or extension of Garda CCTV systems are a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no role in that regard.

The Deputy will be aware that CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access fall into two distinct but complementary categories, namely Garda CCTV systems and community-based CCTV systems. Neither type of CCTV system may be established without authorisation by the Garda Commissioner under section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, among other requirements.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the budget allocation for Garda CCTV systems for the years requested by the Deputy are as follows: