CCTV on Traveller sites to cost €300k
Earlier this year, the local authority said it would cost an estimated €100,000 to install CCTV at Ashline and Beechpark in Ennis, and at Ballymurtagh in Shannon.
At each site, six cameras are to be erected on 25ft high poles.
However, tender documentation shows that the supply, installation and commissioning of CCTV on the three sites is estimated by the council to cost €180,000.
The civil works for the CCTV is expected to amount to €100,000.
The chairman of the Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney, yesterday admitted the spend is “significant”, but said that it is “essential”.
“The spend is necessary is order to protect the large investment by the taxpayer in providing these sites,” he said.
“The maintenance spend on Traveller homes is seven times that of standard local authority housing.”
The cost of the CCTV system was approved by members of Clare County Council at their July meeting.
The spend follows the annual Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee’s report, which complained about the large scale breaches of tenancy agreements and levels of antisocial behaviour connected with Clare County Council’s Traveller Accommodation Programme.
The report for 2010 also expresses concern about the “inordinate cost of maintenance of new constructed Traveller accommodation and the unsustainability of such expenditure”.
The annual report also questions if there is any further requirement for group Traveller accommodation units given the levels of transfer requests and vacancies at existing group schemes and the low level of Traveller preference for group schemes.
In 2009 and 2010, the report states, there were 10 tenancy surrenders/abandonments from existing group schemes.
It added that there are currently nine vacant houses in group schemes.
The report also states that there have been 12 transfer application from current group tenants.
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