Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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336. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications submitted from counties Cavan and Monaghan for funding under the CCTV community scheme; the date of receipt of each application; the number of applications approved to date; the date of approval of each; the funding drawn down to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10814/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Community-based CCTV is governed by section 38(3)(c) of Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006.  This legal framework requires that any proposed community CCTV scheme must:

- be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee,

- have the support of the relevant local authority, which must also act as data controller, and

- have the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner.

This is the legal basis for all community CCTV schemes, regardless of how they are funded.  The option to establish a Community CCTV scheme is available to groups that meet these legal requirements, anywhere in the country.

Since 2017, my Department has administered a grant aid scheme supporting groups wishing to establish a community-based CCTV system in their area.  To date, 28 applications have been approved under the scheme, involving approved grants totalling more than €666,000.  Eligible groups, including community groups and local authorities nationwide, can apply for grant aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum total of €40,000.

As the Deputy may be aware, last year I expanded the grant aid scheme to cover not only new CCTV systems but also to allow funding applications for extension or upgrade of existing Community CCTV systems which are incomplete or obsolete.  Applicants can now also seek a once-off grant of up to €5,000 for minor maintenance costs.

However in all cases, grant funding can be considered only for CCTV systems which meet the legal requirements, in other words CCTV systems which have been approved by the relevant Joint Policing Committee, the relevant Local Authority (also acting as Data Controller) and which have received the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner.

For the Deputy's information, I can confirm that one grant application for a CCTV scheme in Monaghan (received by my Department in June 2019) was approved by my Department in 2019. This funding has as yet not been drawn down by the relevant authority. 

One grant application for a CCTV scheme in Cavan (received in May 2019), was refused by my Department, as it did not meet the statutory requirements for CCTV.  However there is no bar on that applicant reapplying for funding, if and when it meets the statutory requirements for establishment of a CCTV system.

There are currently no other CCTV grant aid applications on hand in my Department in respect of counties Cavan or Monaghan.

If the Deputy is aware of groups wishing to avail of the grant aid scheme, further details are available to download from my Department's website - - and support and guidance is available through a dedicated email address fundsadmin-comm-based-cctv@justice.ie