Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill 2021: Discussion

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will just follow up on that point exactly. I want to ask the GRA for its perspective on the need for this among its members. Clearly, we are having a conversation about the balance of rights, about enhancing confidence in policing, and about enhancing confidence in the community that policing will be as effective as it can be within the appropriate structures that we need.

We have seen two very high-profile cases in the United States of America where body-cam technology has been extremely useful in convicting criminally errant police officers, and also in cases of domestic abuse where evidence was gathered in the course of normal events. Will the GRA representatives please talk about the perception around the justification of it?

Following up on Senator Ruane's perspective, does the GRA anticipate that the camera would be on at all times when members of An Garda Síochána are interacting with the public, and therefore gathering as much evidence as possible? Clearly, members of An Garda Síochána are also engaged in their own private policing work as well. Could the GRA representatives please give their perspective on that?

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