Limerick senator says spate of shootings highlights need for CCTV support

RECENT drive-by shootings, bomb attacks, and petrol bombings underline the importance of securing long-term funding of CCTV cameras.

RECENT drive-by shootings, bomb attacks, and petrol bombings underline the importance of securing long-term funding of CCTV cameras in Limerick, a Fianna Fáil senator has warned.

Senator Dee Ryan said a recent shooting at Childers Road, as well as escalating violence linked to a separate feud on the southside of the city, meant that Limerick’s CCTV monitoring centre, which oversees over 365 cameras, required financial stability.

Last year, the Mayor of Limerick John Moran stepped in to bridge a funding shortfall and ensure the service could continue operating.

“That intervention was important, but we should now build on it by putting the service on a sustainable footing for the longer term,” said Senator Ryan.

Terrifying scenes played out last month when two men fired a number of shots from two handguns at homes located adjacent to a shopping centre on the Childers Road and dozens of masked men armed with guns and blades gathered in the area calling out rivals on social media videos.

A man was shot in the chest in a feud simmering on the Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, area.

Senator Ryan said the CCTV monitoring system must be funded long term, ensuring Gardaí have footage to use in criminal prosecutions as well as protecting local communities.

The CCTV monitoring centre, located in Moyross, oversees 227 live cameras and provides recording and playback facilities for a further 138 cameras across Limerick, said Senator Ryan.

“The recent shooting on the Childers Road, together with concerns about escalating tensions linked to an ongoing feud, has understandably caused concern in communities across Limerick,” she said.

“At a time like this, it is particularly important that Gardaí have every available resource at their disposal and that we continue to support the infrastructure which helps keep our communities safe.”

Senator Ryan said she has raised the funding concern directly with government officials and Limerick City and County Council at a recent meeting of the Seanad Housing Committee.

“This is not simply an issue for Moyross. The centre supports CCTV infrastructure across Limerick city and county and provides an additional layer of security for communities throughout Limerick,” said Senator Ryan.

Clarity on the respective funding for the system was required for it to continue operating, she reiterated.

“The recent events in Limerick have reinforced why this infrastructure matters. We should use this opportunity to provide long-term certainty for the monitoring centre and ensure Gardaí continue to have this important resource available to them,” she concluded.