NEW CCTV cameras have been approved for Letterkenny and the Twin Towns.
The scheme will see six new cameras installed in Letterkenny and six cameras introduced for Ballybofey and Stranorlar.
The proposed extension to the Letterkenny scheme will provide six additional cameras at locations including the Hospital roundabout, Polestar roundabout, Lower Main Street and Paddy Harte Road. These proposed locations were requested by the gardaí locally.
The proposed Ballybofey Stranorlar scheme includes six new cameras at Main Street Ballybofey, Glenfin Street, Navenney Street and Chestnut Road and in Stranorlar at Chapel Street and McClay’s corner.
The announcement was welcomed by Cathaoirleach of the Lifford-Stranorlar MD, Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick McGowan.
The Killygordon-based councillor said the cameras for the Twin Towns have been long-awaited.
“We’ve been fighting for this for the last seven or maybe eight years,” he said. “It looks like we’re going to get a bit of movement now on it.”
The announcement follows an application by Donegal County Council to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in conjunction with Letterkenny Chamber and Ballybofey and Stranorlar Integrated Communities Committee (BASICC).
As part of this process, a design of the proposed schemes has been prepared and was part of a public consultation by the two community groups.
A letter of approval had been issued by the Department to the two groups in November 2023 approving in principle a grant of €40,000 each for the two schemes subject to receiving the Garda Commissioner’s authorisation as is a requirement of the scheme.
Donegal County Council were invited to attend the CCTV national Steering Committee on Friday, October 11 2024, where a presentation was made on the applications in conjunction with the local Garda Inspector. Follow-up information requested by the Steering Committee was sent on Monday, November 4, 2024.
Regular updates have been sought in relation to both schemes and Donegal County Council were informed by the local Gardai in September 2026 that the Garda Commissioner’s approval had finally been sanctioned for both schemes.
Donegal County Council is now liaising with the Department of Justice Home Affairs and Migration in relation to the previous commitment in principle of the funding and the Department has informed the Council that the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act provides for a new regime for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes.
Part 5 of that Act, when commenced, will introduce these new arrangements.
There is a requirement under that Act for the Garda Commissioner to develop a Code of Practice for CCTV which will set out the procedures to be followed, and they advised that this work is at an advanced stage and that the Department is working closely with An Garda Síochána to try to finalise the Community CCTV systems that were approved before the new Act.
The Council awaits a letter of offer to be issued on behalf of the groups for both schemes and the determination of the associated co-funding requirement based on current costs.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme