Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Garret Kelleher (FG), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I have listened with interest to the debate this evening. I have a certain sympathy for the position articulated by Senator Ruane, particularly in relation to a disproportionate number of searches being carried out in certain communities. She cited some numbers in relation to breaches of the Covid regulations and mentioned the communities that were most impacted by those searches and the penalties that followed. That predates my own time on the justice committee but it was very interesting to hear about it as part of the overall debate.
I also listened with interest to Senator McDowell. He articulated statistics from the United Kingdom showing that people from a black community or people with a darker skin colour are eight times more likely to be searched than members of a white community. In one of his more recent contributions, he mentioned that a young black person going down Oxford Street is eight times more likely to be searched than a young white person of an equivalent age. I would be interested to see whether that is true. He made reference to that in one of his earlier contributions, saying that we want to avoid it. Our job as legislators is ultimately to legislate in an effective way to make An Garda Síochána more effective but also to address systemic biases. Policing in this country can be improved as a result of what we do through legislation.
Senator McDowell also said that on certain occasions, it may be justified for certain minority groups to be searched disproportionately. I am concerned about the possible unintended consequences of accepting amendments such as this arising from the manner in which the information collected is disseminated. Amendment No. 28 a calls on the Minister to "publish in each calendar year a report". In light of the sensitivity of the information it is suggested to collate, there is a possibility that we would be opening ourselves up to unintended consequences. That information might be used by reporters to create sensational articles because of certain areas being subject to more stop-and-search activities or other searches than other areas, possibly with justification, as Senator McDowell has outlined. If there is justification for that, as the Senator has shown there may be, that should be taken into consideration. It is ultimately about trying to strike a balance. We must give An Garda Síochána discretion to carry out its duties and to protect our communities as effectively as it possibly can while also addressing the possibility of systemic biases being overlooked as a result of the suggested information not being collated and used effectively. My concern is about the availability of that information, whether it would be published in a report and whether it would be made available to newspaper reporters. That is of concern, given the sensitivity of the information. How can we improve policing and Garda powers and ultimately arrive at better protection and better protection in the communities we represent? I am concerned about the possibility of unintended consequences arising from some of the amendments being proposed.

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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