Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

That is what The New York Times stated and I thought it was quite significant when I read that. It is worth people considering that. It is the case, if you look to see what has happened in the United States, that cannabis has a significant impact. It can generate psychosis in young people. I am not prepared to ignore that. Leaving aside that, and I appreciate and acknowledge the consistency of Senator Ruane on this issue, if we are going to have a debate on decriminalisation or legalisation, let us do that in an open way. I do not think a Garda powers Bill is the correct way to do it.
Amendment No. 9 proposes the deletion of the reference to "a syringe, or any blood in a container intended by the person concerned unlawfully to cause or to threaten to cause injury to or to intimidate another". This is the same wording utilised in section 7 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. It is important to note that in the context of the Bill, a syringe is lawful unless it is linked to an unlawful purpose, such as an intent to commit an offence. Its unlawfulness arises from the intention of the person in possession of it, not merely by the item itself, and on this basis, I cannot support this amendment.
Amendment No. 12 to section 7 proposes to delete the line "or intended by the person for use". "Intended for use" allows gardaí to act based on reasonable suspicion of future criminal use, not just illegal possession. Some tools are neutral in themselves, such as a computer programme, password list, or encryption key, but can be used for crime. By requiring that the item is intended for use in committing an offence, the Bill allows gardaí to intervene when cybercrime is suspected to occur, while ensuring that stop-and-search powers are targeted at actual or imminent criminal activity. This approach recognises the realities of modern crime and I cannot support this amendment.
Amendment No. 13 deletes section 7(h), which applies to any article, focusing on intent in this context. Some items are legal in general but become criminal only when used in a certain way. For instance, a hammer is legal to own but if someone carries one to assault someone, it obviously becomes a criminal act. These provisions are intended to provide gardaí with clear, modern and operationally effective powers to remove dangerous weapons from public spaces and support the investigation and prevention of serious offences.

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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