Council to assess use of CCTV cameras along Cork city greenway

Cork City Council has confirmed that a feasibility study, to assess the use of CCTV cameras along the Blackrock Line Greenway, will be completed “without delay”, once a code of practice has been put in place by An Garda Síochána.

At the latest local area committee meeting for the Cork city South East ward, Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan called on the local authority to outline a definitive timeline for the implementation of CCTV along ‘The Line’.

In response to Mr Horgan’s motion, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said its Parks and Recreation department have been working with An Garda Síochána to bring about such a service in the area, but have encountered unforeseen delays.

“The Parks and Recreation department, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, had sought to regularise the use of CCTV in parks, cemeteries, walkways and open spaces within Cork city in 2023, under Section 38 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005,” the spokesperson said.

“However, further progress had to be deferred until a code of practice for the operation of community CCTV schemes, required under Section 47(3) of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act, was in place.

“The Local Government Management Agency has informed the city council that the gardaí have prepared a draft Code of Practice for public closed circuit television.

“When this is finalised, the Section 38 process, including the feasibility of using cameras at this location, will be completed without delay.”

Mr Horgan said the delivery of such a service needs to be “rolled out swiftly”, following suit behind other local greenways across the country.

“We’ve seen Limerick get approval to begin kitting out their greenway with CCTV,” said Mr Horgan.

“The Line is set up for CCTV to be rolled out swiftly and the commissioner needs to make that order so we can have this layer of protection. Waiting for codes of practice is no use for those who experience anti-social behaviour from those who know they can’t be caught because of the often used GDPR smokescreen.”