CCTV scheme branded a ‘joke’

“This is not a real scheme,” fumed Fianna Fáil's Sarah O'Reilly in a scathing assessment of the roll-out of the Community CCTV Scheme.

Although €1M has been allocated for investment for each of the three years the scheme has been in existence, just four applications have been approved to date, amounting to only four per cent or €120,000 being spent in total to date.
Currently the only funding available for such schemes is through the Community CCTV Scheme and a condition of this is that the local authority undertakes the role of data controller. The low number of community-based CCTV schemes, established and funded by the Department of Justice, Cllr O'Reilly said is evidence enough for the Government to review the scheme to make it more accessible and achievable.
She stated that communities are “totally frustrated” by the lack of progress on approvals, as an impasse has emerged over who controls the data from CCTV captured. Cllr O'Reilly branded the scheme in its current state “a farce and a joke”.
She said that many communities had attempted to attain CCTV, only to find their efforts smothered in an avalanche of paperwork and “bureaucratic red tape”. “It's a total waste of time,” Cllr O'Reilly declared, further claiming that repeated launches of the scheme were undertaken for “spin” purposes only.
“It's launched and relaunched and it's not fair on the vulnerable people who are wasting their time getting involved. It's giving people false hope when, in reality, it's nothing more than a joke.”

Her sentiment was shared by several council colleagues, including Fianna Fáil's John Paul Feeley who said that, while the “idea was admirable, in practice is was nothing short of a failure".
“Something has to be done with this scheme,” contended Cllr Feeley.
He added that it was “not acceptable” for a local authority to be involved in the policing of the State, and called on An Garda Siochana to stand up and take a central role in the roll-out and management of the scheme.
Cllr Shane P O'Reilly relayed how the scheme was unworkable in Mullagh where the council did not own any property. “It's not for the case of not wanting [CCTV], but we've no place to put it."
He reiterated his concern over travelling criminals targetting rural areas such as Cavan.
Daniel Downey (SF), while congratulating those who had successfully applied for the scheme, said the extra layer of GDPR on top of other demands was “almost insulting”.
“There should have been an impact survey done [on the scheme] when data protection was rolled out,” Cllr Downey's opined. “[The scheme] is a declaration of intent with effectively no supports”.
 

Bureaucratic

Others to contribute to the debate included Clifford Kelly (FF), Paddy Smith (FG) and Winston Bennett (FG).
From the executive's point of view, Director of Services Brendan Jennings acknowledged the frustrations of the elected members, and community groups involved with CCTV scheme applications.
“It is very bureaucratic,” he said. Mr Jennings added that he could not see many others applying for funding for the scheme unless simplified significantly. “Presently it's very difficult to manage.”