Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026 [Seanad]: Second Stage Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16 ============================================================ Michael Collins (II), Cork South-West Independent Ireland knows full well that crime has changed. Criminals are using mobile phones, computers and new technology, and the law has to keep up. I said many times in this House that giving gardaí powers is only part of the answer. We need gardaí on the ground as well. In rural Ireland, particularly in west Cork, people have seen Garda stations close and Garda resources stretched. I raised the fear that rural crime causes, particularly for elderly people and those living alone, and I have called for greater support for community alerts and other measures to protect them. I have also repeatedly raised the tragic case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was murdered near Schull in 1996. In 2023, I asked that every necessary resource be given to the Garda serious crime review team and to the local Garda investigation unit based in Bantry. That case alone shows why gardaí need the proper powers, technology and resources to investigate serious crime but there must be safeguards as well. A person's mobile phone can contain their whole private life. If gardaí can require passwords, personal identification numbers, PINs, or biometric access there must be clear rules and proper oversight. I am also concerned about somebody being deemed to have given up their rights to a solicitor. If a person has given up such an important right it should be clear that they understand what they are doing. While I am talking about solicitors, the previous speaker has similarly spoken about the free legal aid situation that is out there at the present time. It is an issue that cannot continue the way it is. It causes serious concern to quite a lot of people, including my constituents and constituents throughout the country. I plead with the Minister. Sometimes if we all stand off, nothing really happens until we sit around the table and try to get to the bottom of the problem. It cannot continue the way it is. We can pass all the laws we like but without enough gardaí, vehicles or resources, those laws cannot protect our communities. Independent Ireland's position is simple: back our gardaí and give them the tools to tackle criminals, but protect the rights of ordinary, law-abiding people at the same time. People are worried and upset. They are worried about their safety and well-being out there. I visited a county in the past few days and I met with different families. I asked where their kids were going to schools. They said, "Up the road there", and they pointed out where it was. I said that it was brilliant they could walk to and from school but they said, "No way. There is no way we would allow our children walk to and from school because of the dangers that are there". People are concerned and that is very basic. Maybe I still had the mindset that kids walk to school. In this situation - I am not going to name the county because it does not reflect the general well-being of the people there - they were genuine parents telling me they were concerned about their children. I did not ask from who or what but it is a situation that is a worrying factor out there for quite a lot of people. We in Independent Ireland have been very strong on our policies with regard to getting tough on crime. We are talking about people who are seriously assaulting people out there; people who are hardened criminals and thieves. There needs to be a stronger law to make sure those who are attacking people, taking their personal property or even hurting them, face the ultimate powers of the Garda and the law. That is not happening in the courts at the moment with the free legal aid crisis that is going on. We need to make sure it does. We need to make sure people out there are protected and that they know that the criminal who comes into their house, steals their property or hurts somebody will serve a serious sentence and not be back out there on the streets within weeks of a crime. It is not good enough and it is a worrying factor in this country. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-16/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-09-16