A CCTV system for two north Longford towns would cost Longford County Council approximately €100,000 each according to a new report from the local authority.
Following an analysis of a potential roll out of the systems in both Granard and Edgeworthstown, council officials have costed the set up and year one operation at €96,000 and €100,000 respectively, with grants available to the council for the implementation.
The roll out of CCTV in Granard would see 24 cameras at 9 locations across the town, while initial analysis places 23 cameras at 9 locations in Edgeworthstown.
According to GDPR regulations, public CCTV cameras can only be deployed with the permission of An Garda Siochana and located in areas where their presence can be validated.
Following an initial installation cost including major street, electrical and infrastructural work, each system would require an annual cost of €25,000 to maintain, with extra funding ringfenced for future upgrading of the system.
Local councillor PJ O'Reilly says the cost is too high to see a CCTV system installed locally anytime soon:
