An agreement has been reached to provide interim funding that will keep Limerick's community CCTV network running next year.
The move comes amid concerns that budget cuts could have led to the winding down or full closure of the service.
To protect public safety and jobs, Mayor of Limerick John Moran confirmed that a portion of the mayoral budget will be reallocated to cover operational costs for the coming year.
Up to now the CCTV network, excluding CCTV that is exclusively owned and operated by An Garda Síochána, has been funded with Limerick City and County Council and regeneration funding.
The decision ensures that the CCTV system, which plays a key role in supporting community security and law enforcement, will continue to function while longer-term funding arrangements are explored.
Limerick TD Conor Sheehan, who raised the matter in the Dáil this week, said sourcing long-term funding from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) should be explored.
"The Department of Justice needs to do further work with Limerick City and County Council to come up with a sustainable funding framework for the CCTV network in to the future.
"We need to explore the possibility of CAB funding some of this as An Garda Síochána use these cameras for CAB purposes to pursue drug-related and other serious criminality," the Labour TD said.
"If the CCTV is no longer operational or maintained, CAB cannot do that effectively.
"Limerick's scale of CCTV and other problems, are not the same as other cities who can manage financially their own CCTV schemes by themselves," he added.
The interim funding decision was made following a meeting between the mayor with Minister for Housing James Browne, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister of State Niall Collins in Leinster House.
All sides accepted that the mayoral fund is not designed to fund public safety infrastructure, but with no departmental funding currently available, it will serve as an interim solution.
Minister Browne confirmed Government support for the mayor to carry forward all unspent mayoral funds as a temporary solution.
It is not intended or expected that the mayoral budget will carry this responsibility after 2026 and the issue of sustainable long-term funding for the CCTV programme will form a key agenda item at the next Limerick Mayoral and Government Consultative Forum.
