THREE West Cork towns are still without CCTV cameras almost six months since they were switched off due to issues of who will control the data.

The security camera systems were shut down in Skibbereen, Dunmanway and Clonakilty in July because Cork County Council and An Garda Síochána can’t agree who should oversee the operating system and control the recorded data. With Christmas approaching there is still no update as to when they will be switched back on.

Other key West Cork town such as Bantry, Macroom, Schull and Kinsale operate their CCTV network under a new system, which is already under the remit of Cork County Council.

Fine Gael Councillor Brendan McCarthy said the lack of CCTV cameras in these three towns in particular is of growing concern and he has raised the issue with council officials after several people contacted him about it.

‘I wasn’t long a member of Cork County Council when The Southern Star features a front-page story outlining that CCTV would cease in the towns of Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Dunmanway. This came as a shock to the businesses, residents and visitors to these towns as they were unaware that it would be happening,’ he said.

‘CCTV is a vital infrastructure in and around our towns for many reasons such as the prevention and detection of crime, the prevention of illegal dumping and for public safety. We have seen recently how cameras played a critical role in the solving of crime too.’

A Cork County Council spokesperson said they continue to engage with An Garda Síochána regarding CCTV in West Cork. ‘Under the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, a local authority may apply for authorisation of a CCTV scheme only once Part Five of the Act is commenced and the required Code of Practice is published by the Minister.’

The spokesperson said that they await these steps before progressing any application.

They added that they are currently working with gardaí to review schemes and prepare applications for reauthorisation under the new legislation.

At last week’s council meeting Cllr Ian Doyle (FF) sought an update stressing that CCTV is very important to curb anti-social behaviour and is vital for villages and towns.

‘GDPR came into play then so all our planned extensions for CCTV systems were null and void,’ he said.

Cllr Marie O’Sullivan (FG) supported his motion pointing out that a lot of anti-social behaviour has taken place recently at the temporary public toilets in Kinsale, costing the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District a lot of money to fix them.

‘The only way to catch these people is to have CCTV footage of them carrying out criminal damage or anti -social acts. We need some sort of systems in place to keep our town safe,’ she said.