590 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if arrangements will be made to install closed circuit television cameras in Swords, County Dublin; and the areas where closed circuit television cameras have been installed since June 1997. [8583/02]

I am informed by the Garda authorities that an application for a Garda CCTV system in Swords has been received by the advisory committee that was established by the Garda Commissioner to evaluate applications for Garda CCTV systems. The application from Swords is currently under consideration, together with applications from other cities and towns throughout the country. Garda CCTV systems are currently in operation in the following areas: Dublin North Central, that is, O'Connell Street and its surrounding areas; Dublin South Central, that is, Grafton Street and its surrounding areas; and Tralee, County Kerry.

A Garda CCTV system is currently being completed in Cork City and I understand, in this regard, that most of the cameras in the system are now fully operational.

The first phase of the Garda CCTV system in Dublin North Central was launched in April 1997. Subsequent phases in this system together with the CCTV systems for Dublin South Central, Tralee and Cork have been installed since June 1997.