Quarter of Dublin’s CCTV cameras out of action, city council confirms

One in four CCTV cameras in Dublin are not working — including all 14 in an anti-social black spot which was the scene of riots last summer.

Dublin City Council has confirmed 40 of its 166 monitoring devices are not operational.

While six of the 22 specific areas where the problems exist have been earmarked for 36 replacement cameras, repairs are “subject to funding”.

According to the council, despite areas such as Dorset St Upper in the heart of the city and St Finbar’s Court in Cabra having 14 and one CCTV cameras in place respectively, none are working.

The most pressing concern surrounds Dorset St Upper, a location fighting to overcome drug dealing and which saw hundreds of rioters clash with gardaí last May, resulting in 20 arrests.

However, in a litany of other Dublin City locations such as Ballybough House (two of four working), the junction between the city centre’s North Clarence St and Dunne St (eight of 16 working) and O’Devaney Gardens near the Phoenix Park (12 of 18 working) similar problems are also apparent.

The figures were confirmed by the council after reports on the scandal this week.

The news comes just months after a similar situation occurred in Limerick City.

Last October it emerged that a CCTV system close to a house where a shooting took place in O’Malley Park had been out of action for almost three months.

The disclosure was made during a trial where a man was accused of possessing a Glock pistol with intent to endanger life relating to a family dispute at his Southill home on Oct 28, 2009. He pleaded not guilty and was cleared by the court of the charges.

Gardaí had no part in managing the system in O’Malley Park. It was monitored by the Limerick Regeneration Agency.

However, officers had obtained CCTV material from the system in the past.

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