Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-10
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Catherine Ardagh (FF), Dublin South-Central

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht a chomhghairdeas. On the proposal of a unique identifier, we know from section 13 that those who are stopped and searched will have their dates of birth, names and addresses gathered. The proposal as it is at the moment is that that information would be matched not by An Garda Síochána, but via PPSNs by the CSO, to get anonymised data on ethnicity, race and nationality. We know that the CSO is a trusted research provider of criminal justice statistics and informs policy. In Ireland and Sweden, we are examining the use of anonymised data for research and policy purposes rather than just for operational stop and searches. Similarly, Sweden collects place of birth information for research, not operational policing, so it is not directly comparable to stop and search. Anonymised demographic data can help to identify trends in serious crime safely, but operational recording risks profiling and creating tensions during encounters. As such, the approach in this Bill prioritises effectiveness and fairness over additional demographic recording, which has not been shown to deliver meaningful change in operational policing and could contribute to inaccurate data and racial profiling.
The fundamental issue in this Bill is not the lack of data, but how stop and search powers are used. What matters most is that these powers are intelligence-led, proportionate and clearly justified. This Bill focuses on strengthening the requirement for objective justification, improving oversight and accountability, and ensuring that stop and search is targeted at preventing harm and reducing violence, rather than broad or indiscriminate use.
Evidence from the UK shows that simply collecting additional democratic data has not on its own reduced violence or improved trust between police and the communities they serve. Mandatory recording of ethnicity has not consistently delivered better outcomes and can produce unintended consequences. These include increasing the administrative burden on officers, reducing time available for effective policing and heightening tension during encounters where individuals feel categorised or profiled. I am not in a position to accept the amendments.

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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