Closed-circuit television cameras, CCTV, installed in Littleton and many other towns and villages across the country are not operational following an intervention by the Data Protection Commissioner under the current legislation which permits only local authorities to monitor the cameras. The Garda Síochána is willing and able to monitor in real time but under the legislation it is not permitted to do so. This is farcical. Cameras read in real time are a preventative measure. When not read in real time, and if the Garda has to approach local authorities for permission to enter their premises to read the cameras, it is reactive policing. This is a big issue at the junction to our motorways and on the approach roads into our towns. I ask the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, to outline when the amending legislation to correct this anomaly, which has serious consequences, particularly for rural policing, will be brought forward.

I attended a meeting last night in Nenagh, held by north Tipperary IFA. I am glad the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is in the House. The people of Tipperary are bewildered at the inaction of the Government. This is another obstacle. We were promised reform of the bail laws. We enacted legislation allowing for electronic tagging of known criminals but not one criminal has been tagged. What is the blockage to protection of our people? The programme for Government is very strong on this issue. People are being neglected and are living in fear. Among those who attended the meeting last night were people from the constituency of the Minister for Agriculture, food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, who also feel abandoned. The Garda Síochána wants to do its work but it needs the tools of the trade to do so. The issue of free legal aid must be tackled and also the bail laws. Nothing is happening and the tagging of individuals is not being implemented. The people of Ireland and, in particular, Tipperary are rising up and are very angry about this situation. The Government should take note. The people from the constituency of the Minister, Deputy Creed, said that they had spoken to him about the issue for 20 minutes last week but that it was a waste of time.

The programme for Government includes a commitment to provide funding for the installation of CCTV in urban and rural areas. There are 78 communities in Tipperary eager to put in place CCTV systems but they are being hampered by the legislation. My understanding is that a statutory instrument was introduced which prevents the Garda from being the data protection and collection agency for the information gathered by the CCTV cameras.

We need all the weapons we can have at our disposal to fight crime in urban and rural areas. People just cannot comprehend how the Garda cannot have access to this information and use it to fight crime.

I thank the Deputies representing County Tipperary for raising this important issue. I am fully aware of the situation, representing as I do a neighbouring constituency. The CCTV scheme, to which the Deputies refer, however, is not a Garda scheme or a State scheme. It is a community-based scheme for which a sum of €3 million is available from the State over a period of three years. There are three basic conditions to be met, and which can be and are being met. First, there must be approval from the local joint policing committee, and there is an active joint policing committee in County Tipperary. Second, it needs the consent and approval of the Garda Commissioner. This can be done by way of a report from the local crime prevention officer. Third, the local authority must, under law, act as data controller. This cannot be done by An Garda Síochána because this is in essence a community scheme.

Having regard to the fact that the problem appears to be of sufficient proportions to warrant the raising of the matter in the Dáil, I would be happy to have officials from my Department assist with many of the local community groups. These funds are available and are being drawn down, and I urge community groups in Tipperary to continue to make their application and to comply with what is an acceptable framework.