Galway town’s vandalism hotspots to get CCTV coverage as new guidelines on the way
New legislation governing the use of CCTV footage is expected to be published following repeated calls for expanded camera coverage in targeted areas of Ballinasloe, County Galway.
At a municipal district meeting earlier this month, Director of Services Damien Mitchell said gardaí are due to publish a handbook setting out guidelines for the use of CCTV footage. However, no timeline has been given for when the document will be released.
The issue follows delays caused by GDPR restrictions, which have prevented the use of existing CCTV infrastructure in the town.
Councillor Alan Harney said systems had been installed but simply needed to be switched on.
He pointed to key locations such as the Dunlo Running Track and the riverbanks, which have experienced repeated incidents of vandalism and increased littering.
The continued lack of access to CCTV footage has led councillors to call for the appointment of a groundskeeper to monitor the affected areas. However, that proposal was rejected due to the absence of a dedicated budget for the role.
Ballinasloe councillor Evelyn Parsons said she and several local groups are keen to establish a taskforce alongside CCTV monitoring, noting that the issue has been raised in the council chamber “time and time again.”