Local Labour Deputy for Dublin North East Tommy Broughan T.D. has severely criticised the government for the abandonment of the proposed and long promised CCTV security system for Moatview/Fairfield, Dublin 17.

The Moatview/Fairview Development Association led by Mr. John Curry has worked for many years to introduce a comprehensive CCTV security camera system for Moatview Estate in Priorswood, Dublin 17. Deputy Broughan again contacted the Dublin City Council Area Manager Ms. Celine Reilly and Area Housing Manager Mr. John Egan to find out when the system would receive the long promised funding to get it up and running for the local community.

In January of 2007 the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform requested applications for a second round of community based CCTV programmes. During an earlier round, funding had been allocated to a feasibility study for a CCTV system in Belcamp Estate by the local RAPID area office according to Manager Egan. A number of technical and operational issues then arose in terms of the development of CCTV schemes for Darndale, Belcamp and Moatview Estates. RAPID reported that consultants were engaged to assess a number of these issues in 2008 including the relationship between the different schemes proposed for Belcamp and Moatview and the existing scheme in Darndale; coverage, camera angles, pole locations; harmonising the existing scheme with the technical specifications required by the Department of Justice scheme; data control issues and access to images; and monitoring and maintenance.

In a report RAPID gave to Manager Egan, Deputy Broughan was informed that "the consultant’s brief was being scoped when serious issues emerged regarding further scheme funding by the Department. We were then left in the situation of not knowing when and indeed if the Department was going to fund a further round."

Deputy Broughan has now been informed by Housing Manager Egan and the RAPID co-ordinator that as the recent An Bord Snip Nua Report by economist Dr. Colm McCarthy recommended that "all new urban CCTV placements be shelved. It is estimated that savings of some €5 million a year should be achieved on this basis. In view of this we will have no option but to await the government’s decision in this regard. It is clear however that without external funding sources, Dublin City Council would not be able to fund the capital costs of a scheme for the Moatview area. We will however proceed with the consultancy work as this has already been budgeted for to see what practical and cost effective solutions could be recommended to improve the CCTV coverage of the area."

Deputy Broughan added, "It is appalling that in effect this critical CCTV programme targeting anti-social and criminal activity in Moatview has effectively been shelved by the Fianna Fail/Green government using the cynical façade of An Bord Snip Nua and Dr. Colm McCarthy. I intend to raise this as a matter of priority with Ministers Gormley and Ahern when the full Dail resumes shortly."