International Protection Bill 2026: Report and Final Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-25
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

To deal with Senator Higgins's point, I should point out that, when I was answering in respect of the management of biometric data, I referred her to section 17. Section 17(2) provides very specific details as to how long the data can be retained. That is set out in that subsection.
The Senator spoke about what the data was used for. The reason people are put through the process of Eurodac screening is to establish their identities. That is the whole purpose of this. The Eurodac system contains the identities of very many people. Its purpose is to see if the identity of the person is consistent with the identity of the person on Eurodac. There are benefits to the person if they say they are Jim O'Callaghan and, when their fingerprints or facial data are entered into the Eurodac system, that system confirms they are in fact the person they allege themselves to be. It is also a matter of concern to the State if their identity is not consistent with who they say they are or if their nationality is not consistent with what they say it is. Central to the process of applying for asylum is the fact that people are fleeing persecution and war. Their nationality and where they are coming from are extremely important in determining the veracity and accuracy of such applications. That is why it is so important for the purposes of evidence to determine where the person is from and who the person is. It is central to the whole application for asylum. The inherent characteristics of the individual are, in many respects, essential to the strength or weakness of their application for asylum.
It is not an onerous obligation. It is for the purpose of establishing a person's identity. The person in question should honestly assert their identity, as the vast majority of asylum applicants do. If they do so and it can be identified that they previously applied for asylum elsewhere or that their narrative elsewhere was different from the narrative they are now providing, that is relevant for the purposes of the determining authority identifying whether their application merits granting or refusal.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:46+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-25