Ms Maeve-Anne Kenny:

We are not in a great position to speak concretely about recording devices and the independent record of when recording started and was completed at the moment because it will depend on the types of devices, body-worn cameras, that are ultimately procured by An Garda Síochána. That also leads into the question on the codes of practice. The codes of practice will be complied with using the types of technological devices that An Garda Síochána has access to, when it is in a position to roll them out, etc. The code of practice will have to be developed and agreed prior to the roll-out of body-worn cameras but, as it stands, it is not clear when exactly that will be.

On access to footage, I imagine that data held by An Garda Síochána is subject to the same rights of access requests, etc., that can be made under data protection law. Separately, regarding access to information in respect of criminal charges, it is not proposed under the Bill to provide for a separate regime for disclosure of evidence. An Garda Síochána currently gathers a lot of CCTV footage from other areas. It will not always be footage that has been Garda obtained. Therefore we are not providing a specific system for access to evidence obtained under this Bill.