Public CCTV

Public CCTV: Code of Practice - Public Consultation

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The mission of An Garda Síochána is supported by a commitment to working with communities and using available resources, including technology, to prevent and detect crime. One of these technologies is Public CCTV.

As of January 2026, Public CCTV in Ireland is in widespread use and subject to strict, updated regulatory frameworks. There are approximately 120 Public CCTV schemes authorised by the Garda Commissioner that were made under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and supported by a Public CCTV Code of Practice.

There is an increased demand nationally from local communities and business groups to have Public CCTV systems in their respective towns and cities. There has been particular success in using Public CCTV to tackle a range of offences, including drug-related crimes, vehicle and property crimes, and public order offences.

Whilst the use of CCTV by a police service can have great merit, it can also have a direct impact on the human rights of individuals. Therefore, its installation and operation must be carefully planned and its use competently managed.

The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 was enacted on 5th December 2023. This Act specifically repealed Section 38 of the 2005 Act and provides the current legal framework for the use of various recording devices, including Public CCTV, to support public safety.

As with the 2005 Act, the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 requires the Garda Commissioner to authorise the installation and operation of Garda CCTV in public places. Part 8 of this Act stipulates a new Code of Practice on Public Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is required.

As part of developing this new Code of Practice An Garda Síochána is conducting a public consultation and seeking submissions for any views or observations on the draft Code of Practice.

An extensive set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been provided to give supporting context to this draft document.

Close Circuit Television (CCTV) in a public place Code of Practice consultation process

In addition to seeking the views of the public the Garda Commissioner is also mandated to seek views from the:

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
Policing & Community Safety Authority
Office of the Police Ombudsman - Fiosrú
Data Protection Commission
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission

Prior to the Code of Practice being issued in a Part 8 consultation process, a Human Rights Impact Assessment was conducted and a Data Protection Impact Assessment will also be conducted before the Code of Practice can be considered by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for publication as a Statutory Instrument.

Share Your Views

An Garda Síochána is keen to collect feedback from the public on this draft Code of Practice. To provide feedback, please read the new draft Code of Practice and complete the below feedback form.

You can also read the Public CCTV: Code of Practice frequently asked questions (FAQs) here.

Any personal data that is provided by respondents as part of their responses is processed under Article 6(1)(a) and Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Section 55(1)(b)(i) of the Data Protection Act 2018, as applicable. Any personal data provided will not be retained for longer than is strictly necessary for the purposes of any analysis or reviewing of the feedback results.

Feedback submissions must be submitted by 24th February 2026.

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