The Taoiseach said last week that the people of Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway will be able to vote for their own directly-elected mayor. Will the Taoiseach outline if that is due to go to a plebiscite in each of those cities this October, or will that just proceed because the Government has made a call on it? When will we know what the powers and structures for that office will be?

The Taoiseach said he will create a Citizens' Assembly to look at the position of the mayor of Dublin. We did something similar ten years ago. It was not a Citizens' Assembly, but involved people within the political system. I put it to the Taoiseach that he should do something similar on this occasion. As well as including citizens, it should involve people from the political system because no one else knows how local authorities work as well as those who have worked in them. It could also include public officials. If an assembly will be established, it should comprise a mix of citizens, people from the political system and public administrators.

Does the Taoiseach believe the recommendations of such an assembly would only be implemented in 2024 or 2025, or what is the timeline for that proposal?

Proposals are about to go to Cabinet on this, but the intention is to have a plebiscite of the people in the four cities that were named.

I will consider the point about an assembly to consider the issue regarding a Dublin mayor.

On page 97 of the programme for Government, the Government states it will support the investment in closed-circuit television, CCTV, at key locations along the road network in rural and urban centres. There are several community CCTV schemes nationwide and the Department committed €1 million per year over several years. In County Laois, however, the Donaghmore and Mountmellick schemes have been held up and a similar situation exists across the country. Many of these schemes have raised funds through their own voluntary efforts such as through cake sales, raffles and so on. There has been a game of ping-pong between senior Garda management and local authorities as to who will take responsibility for storing the data. This has dragged on and on and the schemes are now in jeopardy as a consequence.

I have raised this matter with the Minister for Justice and Equality who replied that he is trying to resolve it but in the meantime, these CCTV schemes and community alert schemes are paralysed as a result. I call on the Taoiseach to examine this seriously with the Minister for Justice and Equality. It cannot be allowed to drag on. Grant money the Department has allocated is going down the tubes because this matter has not been resolved. The County and City Management Association has said its members will not touch it because they are not the police force. The Garda also has stated it is not its baby either. Someone must take responsibility and it is up to the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice and Equality to knock heads together, make somebody take responsibility and sort this out so that community alert schemes in counties Laois and Offaly and across the State can benefit from this funding.

I thank Deputy Stanley for this question. I am particularly familiar with the situation at national level and particularly in the area mentioned by the Deputy. It is an important crime prevention measure. I am very pleased that the Government has made available, through my Department, a sum to allow community CCTV.

There is a regulatory framework. I assure Deputy Stanley and Members that I am very keen to deal with this issue in a satisfactory manner. The regulatory framework to which I refer involves the local authorities, An Garda Síochána and the Data Protection Commissioner. I imagine everyone will agree there must be a proper legislative framework for this sensitive issue. I am keen to resolve the matter. Officials from my Department are engaged with the County and City Management Association and local communities with a view towards resolving the matter in order that the CCTV system can be up and running across the country at the earliest opportunity. Twenty-six of the 31 local authorities have now embraced the scheme in accordance with the regulations. I am anxious to sit down with the remaining handful of local authorities with a view towards dealing with the issue to which Deputy Stanley referred.