Significant disparity in CCTV coverage across Limerick City

SOCIAL Democrats Councillor Elisa O’Donovan believes there is a significant disparity in CCTV coverage across areas of the city.

Speaking at the recent full meeting of Limerick City and County Council, Cllr O’Donovan pointed out that City West accounts for just 12 per cent of city CCTV coverage compared to 34 per cent in City East and 51 per cent in City North.

She also noted that a portion of the 2025 Mayoral Budget was allocated towards the expansion of CCTV infrastructure.

Cllr O’Donovan asked Mayor John Moran to outline whether there is a plan to ensure that future CCTV investment is distributed equitably across all Metropolitan Districts, with particular regard to addressing the current shortfall in Limerick City West.

In response, Mayor Moran said that it is worth remembering that CCTV across all of Limerick was at serious risk of being shutdown for 2026 due to lack of funding. The service, he pointed out, was saved only through his intervention and the re-allocation of Mayoral Fund funding for 2026 to CCTV.

“This is not a sustainable solution and will not be available for 2027. The Government needs to come up in Budget 2027 with a multi-annual funding source for this critical service for Limerick. However, despite the Mayor and others raising this issue at all available opportunities, there has yet been no commitment from Government that this funding will be made available,” Moran explained.

“The councillor is therefore encouraged, along with others, to continue to push Government for this issue to be resolved expeditiously to secure not just these critical services but the jobs which will otherwise be put at risk in the monitoring station in Moyross.”

Mayor Moran asked Council members to note that the Mayoral Fund allocation referred to was not provided for the expansion of the CCTV network. It was reallocated to extend and maintain the existing CCTV service during 2026.

“The rollout of community CCTV in Limerick has not historically been planned according to Metropolitan District or local electoral erea boundaries. Rather, the network has developed over approximately 30 years in response to specific and evidenced public-safety concerns, particularly the sustained organised crime and gang feuding experienced in Limerick City from the late 1990s into the 2000s,” he said.

“During that period, serious and violent crime was heavily concentrated in particular parts of the city. CCTV systems were consequently installed in the areas where the level of criminal activity and associated public-safety risk was greatest. Many of those locations now fall within the Limerick City North and Limerick City East areas.”

According to the Mayor, these systems were installed by Limerick City and County Council with An Garda Síochána and local communities.

“The current distribution of cameras reflects historic, targeted responses to sustained organised criminal activity rather than a recent policy of allocating CCTV infrastructure by geographical area,” Mayor Moran said.

“Future proposals for CCTV installations must likewise be considered primarily on the basis of identified risks, patterns of criminal behaviour, and demonstrated public-safety need, rather than geographical location alone.”