Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Lynn Ruane (IND), University of Dublin

I will speak briefly to section 8, particularly in relation to the crux of the topic in relation to our amendment that was ruled out of order. We will look to submit a similar amendment. It was deemed that our amendment was against the principle of the Bill. Our amendment provided that the output of biometric recognition systems would not be used as a principal purpose. The only logic that we can think of as to why our amendment was ruled out of order is that the Bill intends for the results of biometric analysis to be used as principal purpose in the course of criminal investigations. That fundamentally undermines the assertion in the definitions of the Bill that biometric analysis does not include biometric identification. If the output from biometric recognition systems deployed by the Garda are used as evidence in the course of a criminal investigation, how has the subject of that investigation not been identified as part of the use of those systems?
The system in the Bill gives powers to two members of An Garda Síochána - any rank - and the output is good for principal purpose. The system outlined in the AI Act requires rights, impact assessments from the deployers of the biometric systems and judicial approval for the use of the technology, with that approval being subject to judicial review and many more safeguards. The Bill, as it stands, provides for two gardaí of any rank. I raise the fact that this was ruled out of order because it is not aligned with the principle of the Bill. It would be good to have further insight and understanding as to why it is against the principle of the Bill. It is important to have it on the record regarding the intent of the amendment with the intention of coming back on Report Stage to rectify where it is deemed as not being aligned with the principle of the Bill.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:02+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-10