'Appalling journey' endured by community CCTV scheme applicants

Seeking approval for community CCTV schemes was an “appalling journey" for many community groups, Muintir na Tire’s Conor O’Leary claimed. 

He was speaking at the Laois Joint Policing Committee meeting in Portlaoise on Monday, March 14th. 

Mr O’Leary called for clear information in written form in the future. He said a number of schemes in Laois are still trying to get set up. “It has been an appalling journey for them. They have gone out in good faith, probably on the wrong road and they needed better advice,” he said.  

Mountmellick’s Bobby Delaney described the process as frustrating. He said they had set up church gate collections and gathered funding. Most businesses and the community were  behind the initiative, he said.

“All this red tape, who are we protecting? We are protecting people who are breaking the law,” he remarked. 

Speaking of the experience of setting up a scheme in Mountmellick, Cllr Paddy Bracken said, “it has been awful to say the least.” Stating that it has “gone on and on” he said, “it has been very frustrating in terms of the process.” He expressed disbelief that there wasn’t clarification long ago. 

Deputy Data Protection Commissioner Tony Delaney said from now on every one of the community schemes has to be under the joint control of the Council and Gardai.    

In light of the clarity, Cllr Padraig Fleming said a six month target should be set  for community CCTV schemes. “That should be a target to be set,” he remarked. 

Council CEO John Mulholland admitted schemes had struggled but said “we are not experts” and the process has certain “foibles”. He said in 2018 all the groups were brought together and the council accepted the role of data controller. 

He described the role of data controller as “always a misfit” for the council but said the council had accepted it. 

Mr Mulholland insisted any comparison with Limerick, where the council had taken the lead on community CCTV schemes, was unfair given the difference in scale and budget. “We don’t know the true cost,” he remarked. He also said, “we are not going to put any scheme in jeopardy because of fraught legal basis.”

However, he added, “we are the data controller. It is going to help that the gardai are with us.”