Fine Gael Kildare South TD Martin Heydon has led a delegation of Kildare South Fine Gael Mayors to meet with Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to discuss the implementation of a Community based CCTV system across South Kildare communities.
The meeting following confirmation by the Department of Justice last April that grant aid would be made available to communities to assist in establishing community CCTV schemes. The Kildare South delegation are working to co-ordinate the available resources and ensure that they are best used to improve the safety of Kildare South residents and communities.
Deputy Heydon and his Cllr colleagues highlighted the local benefits of this scheme to Minister Flanagan. Minister Flanagan welcomed the Kildare South delegation to the Dail and undertook to work closely with them, through Deputy Heydon to ensure the optimum roll out of this scheme in Kildare.
Following the meeting Deputy Heydon said “Whether it’s Rathangan, Kilcullen, Ballymore Eustace or Castledermot, all communities, rural and urban can benefit from Community CCTV. Such monitoring will be a very useful tool in crime prevention and detection. Working with An Garda Siochana and local community alert groups, we want to ensure that the technology and resources available are used to the best effect in Kildare South.”
The Kildare South Fine Gael public representatives, Cllr. Fintan Brett outgoing Mayor of the Naas Municipal District, Cllr. Ivan Keatley incoming Mayor of the Athy Municipal District and Cllr. Mark Stafford outgoing Mayor of the Kildare Newbridge MD area are working closely with An Garda Síochana through the Kildare Joint Policing Committee to ensure that the roll out of community CCTV best serves all communities of Kildare South. Communities availing of the system can obtain 60% grant aid of up to €40,000 toward the project. The cllr’s intend to seek an allocation from the local property tax through their municipal districts in addition to Government funding, to support communities seeking to install the system.