Data protection commissioner confirms legal basis for community-based CCTV

Data protection commissioner confirms legal basis for community-based CCTV

Data protection legislation “does not stand in the way” of the roll-out of community-based CCTV schemes, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) has said.

The watchdog has published new guidance on the issue following news reports that some schemes were encountering data protection difficulties.

It states: “Once the local authority in the administrative area concerned is willing to take on and deliver on its responsibilities as a data controller for the schemes concerned, there is no legal impediment under data protection legislation to the scheme commencing.”

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the guidance “should assist in clarifying queries or concerns which communities and local authorities may have had;, and provide further reassurance to them that community CCTV schemes, when duly authorised, have a clear legal basis”.

He added: “I am confident that local authorities will also be reassured by this confirmation that they are not required, as a result of their role as data controller, to monitor CCTV live feeds on a continuous basis. This has a real and very concrete impact on how local authorities carry out their role in relation to community CCTV.”

The Department of Justice currently operates a grant aid scheme to assist groups in the establishment of community-based CCTV systems. Eligible groups can apply for grant-aid of up to 60 per cent of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum total of €40,000.

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