Mayo Dáil deputy Michael Ring has again raised the issue of having CCTV cameras installed in Westport. However, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has informed the Fine Gael spokesperson on Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht affairs, the town has not met a number of qualifying criteria to get approval for the scheme.
“The community-based CCTV scheme was launched in 2005 to provide financial assistance towards the capital costs of establishing a community CCTV system,” the Minister said. “To date there have been two major rounds of this scheme, in 2005 and 2007. Pobal, who administer the scheme on behalf of my Department, indicate that an application for funding under stage 1 was received in 2007 from an organisation in Westport. Following a thorough assessment of the application, it was deemed not to have met a number of the qualifying criteria and was therefore not approved for funding.”
Dep Ring commented: “This is something that is urgently needed in towns now in view of anti-social behaviour. CCTV systems have become necessary and have proven successful in curbing such activity. I will be again contacting the Minister to provide funding for CCTV for Westport.”
