Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Arising from what the Minister has said and the Second Stage of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 last week, I know we are awaiting the facial recognition technology aspect. When does the Minister think that legislation will be ready? I know the Commissioner committed to a pilot programme. In advance of that, will the Minister commit to some sort of independent oversight or investigation of the type of facial recognition technology that will be used on the bodycams? There is no difficulty with bodycams. They were called for a number of years ago in the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, the Garda wanted them, and it has been shown in the North that the number of complaints against members of the police service there were reduced following installation of the bodycams. Will the Minister commit to an independent oversight or review of the type of technology to be used?

While I welcome the additional 500 gardaí, I see from constituents and the Garda in Killarney, that in what is one of the busiest towns in the country - it is equivalent to some cities on weekends, and all year round, really - gardaí there can be very stretched. Will the Minister commit that in the event there are additional gardaí, Killarney in particular will be looked at to have additional gardaí on the streets? They could be operating on a very small unit equivalent for a town of 10,000 or 12,000, but there could be a lot more people out in the town in comparison with other places?