M9 and M7 being used by gangs to access and escape the communities they are terrorising – Kilkenny TD claims

Fianna Fáil TD for Kilkenny, Bobby Aylward, has said criticised the Government’s failure to honour its commitment to erect CCTV cameras at key locations on our motorways, which are being used by criminal gangs to access and escape the communities they are terrorising.

Deputy Aylward was commenting during a recent motion on rural crime, "An extract from the 2016 programme for Government reads: ‘We will support investment in CCTV at key locations along the road network and in urban centres’ yet every time I raise this issue with a Minister and other members of the Government, they deflect to the community-based CCTV grant-aided scheme.

"While the community-based CCTV grant-aided scheme is a worthwhile initiative, this is not what I refer to. I refer to the failure by the Government to uphold its promise to erect CCTV cameras at key locations on our motorways, which are being used by criminal gangs to make a quick escape from the town or village they have just targeted.

"Billions of euro of taxpayers' money have been spent on upgrading our motorways over recent decades, and the advantages of this investment speaks for itself, but we must do more to police our national primary routes effectively. Two motorways go through the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, the M9 and M7. Organised gangs are targeting businesses, robbing them and using the motorway to aid their escape.

"I have asked and will keep asking the Minister to clarify at which key locations along the road network CCTV has been erected to combat rural crime, and at which locations it will be erected in the near future?” concluded Deputy Aylward.