More towns to receive surveillance cameras

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday unveiled a major increase in the number of CCTV cameras keeping a watch on towns and city centres.

Under the garda CCTV scheme, a further 14 towns and cities are to get the surveillance cameras as a crime deterrent.

The moves are in addition to new CCTV networks in Ballyfermot and Clondalkin, both in Dublin, and Tullamore in Co Offaly.

Yesterday’s announcement paves the way for the garda authorities to put out to tender contracts for installing 14 CCTV systems across the country.

The locations are: Athlone, Carlow, Castlebar, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dungarvan, Ennis and Kilkenny.

Kinsale, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Sligo, Tallaght and Waterford are also included in the scheme.

The Justice Department yesterday said tenders were expected to be issued by the end of February.

Work on the installation of CCTV in these areas will be undertaken immediately once contractors are appointed.

Mr McDowell and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy said the CCTV systems were a vital way of keeping citizens safe.

“The implementation of CCTV will provide a strong deterrent to crime and a powerful investigative tool for An Garda Síochána in the fight against crime,” said Mr McDowell.

The Government has provided the Garda Síochána with €7 million this year to install CCTV security systems to detect and prevent crime in urban areas.

Under the Garda CCTV programme, systems have been installed in towns and cities including Bray, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Galway, Limerick and Tralee.

Implementation of the Finglas CCTV system is nearing completion, the department said.