Fine Gael TD Proposes Bill to Expand CCTV Installation in Dublin for Crime and Dumping
A Fine Gael TD, James Geoghegan, is introducing a bill to simplify CCTV installation in Dublin. The legislation aims to help councils combat illegal dumping and crime, addressing community demand and potential benefits for Garda investigations while ensuring data protection.
A Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) is poised to introduce legislation designed to reduce obstacles to the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras across Dublin.
The proposed bill seeks to enhance the existing authority of local councils to deploy cameras in areas experiencing significant levels of illegal dumping. Deputy James Geoghegan stated that this legislation would streamline the process for councils to install surveillance in locations characterized by a “high prevalence of crime and repeated crime.”
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Geoghegan cited the local guardian of Sean Moore Park in Dublin 4, who has advocated for CCTV to deter vandalism. He noted a “great demand in local communities” for increased camera presence. Geoghegan further suggested that enhanced surveillance could aid Garda investigations, remarking that law enforcement is “not getting the investment from the top brass to install CCTV in the areas that are needed.”
Geoghegan also affirmed that civil liberties would be safeguarded through a new public code. He emphasized, “What is made absolutely clear in the consultation on that code is that it will be fully compliant with data protection measures.”