There are just over 200 CCTV cameras in Dublin operated by An Garda Síochána, making it one of the least surveilled capital cities in Europe.
In a response to a parliamentary question, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed of the 209 cameras in the Dublin metropolitan area authorised by the Garda commissioner, a total of 65, almost one-third, are located on O’Connell Street and in the north inner city.
The breakdown shows that there are a total of 35 cameras in Tallaght; 33 in the Pearse Street district; 18 in Ballyfermot; 13 in Clondalkin; and 12 in Dún Laoghaire.
“The quantity of cameras varies from time to time as a result of moves, additions and due to changes resulting from building works in Dublin,” said Mr O’Callaghan.
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There has been criticism that the number of CCTV cameras in Dublin is very low compared with other cities, and that many more will be needed in the capital to deal with crime, public order incidents and traffic offences.
Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South James Geoghegan, who asked the parliamentary question, said that as a capital city of over 1 million people, Dublin was way behind when it came to using CCTV on the streets.
“Right now there’s just one Garda CCTV camera for every 6,000 people in Dublin. In London the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has one for every 73 people. The City of Westminster has one for every 1,000, and they’re planning to halve that ratio.
“When I was Lord Mayor of Dublin (in 2024), I heard the same thing again and again from businesses, workers and residents. People want to feel safer, and they want to see consequences for criminal behaviour. Expanding CCTV is one key part of that,” he said.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said that in addition to its own cameras, An Garda Síochána also routinely collects CCTV footage from premises across Dublin when investigating crimes.
The Garda also has access to at least 400 CCTV cameras operated by Dublin City Council, including those on over 250 traffic poles throughout the city.
The latest legislation, An Garda Síochána Recording Devices Act 2023, also gives wide powers to compel businesses and organisations (such as shopping centres, stores or other venues) to provide a live feed of their CCTV to An Garda Síochána for up to 72 hours.
Olga Cronin, a senior policy officer on surveillance and human rights with the ICCL, said CCTV could serve valid purposes such as securing property but if used disproportionately it could unlawfully infringe individuals’ rights to privacy and data protection. In some cases, she said, it could lead to general untargeted mass surveillance.
“As surveillance CCTV systems become more sophisticated this risk becomes even greater. We’re lucky enough to live in a jurisdiction where the State does not have an unfettered right to erect cameras wherever it sees fit. There are rules to be complied with so that our fundamental rights are protected,” she said.
Ms Cronin warned against Ireland following the lead of the UK in this regard. She said the UK was now considering a law to ban face coverings at protests and was also expanding its use of facial recognition technology.
She said Dublin should not be seeking to emulate the UK or London, one of the most surveilled cities in the world.
London has 14 cameras per 1,000 people, according to global analysis conducted by research company Comparitech. Berlin has 13 per 1,000 people, and both Paris and Rome have four cameras per 1,000.
The figure for Dublin is 0.2 cameras for every 1,000 people, or 0.6 cameras per 1,000 population if those from Dublin City Council are included.
The report of the Dublin City Taskforce recommended an upgrade in the CCTV network, and also suggested that new legislation be drafted for real time monitoring.
Another recommendation was that more CCTV cameras be inserted in areas of the city that were flashpoints for public order offences or known locations for street crime or disturbances.
