Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Garret Kelleher (FG), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I had occasion to visit Anglesea St. Garda station in Cork with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on a visit to Cork recently. Without wishing to divulge anything I should not divulge, we saw a room in which the surveillance cameras in various locations in the city were being monitored by An Garda Síochána. It was a hugely impressive operation. This is video surveillance at its best to keep our communities safe.
I am open to correction on this, but there may be an inference in what is being said regarding biometric analysis of an effort to hoodwink people by saying that biometric analysis includes biometric identification. In my view, the distinction made between the two is clear in what is being proposed, having a separate reference to the biometric identification as opposed to the biometric analysis, along the lines of what has been explained by the Minister. Specifically in relation to amendment No. 3, this is something that was suggested by the Minister. If what has been suggested, namely the deletion of the line, was to be voted through here today, there would be no point whatsoever in having a reference to a specific reference or definition of biometric identification. If that amendment was being proposed, it should have been the case that the deletion of the subsequent reference on page 6 to biometric identification should also have been suggested, and that has not been done. If we were to vote through what is being proposed today, of which I am not in favour, the whole thing would be incomplete because the reference to biometric identification and the definition would remain on page 6 of the Bill.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-10