Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is about striking a balance. I fully appreciate people's privacy rights. It is vital that people's privacy is protected when they are at home and in their own environment. We always have to strike the right balance between ensuring the Garda has tools available to it, with proper oversight, codes of conduct and other mechanisms in place, and ensuring the Oireachtas and the various bodies I have mentioned have the ability to examine exactly what the Garda is doing. We cannot tie the hands of gardaí. We have to allow them to be able to deal with crime and do their jobs as effectively and efficiently as possible. What we are trying to do throughout this Bill in many ways with CCTV footage and the processing and gathering of data is to establish how we can do this in a way that respects people's rights but ultimately allows gardaí to do the job they are supposed to do, namely, keep people safe, deal with difficult situations and address national security threats that arise. It is about finding that balance. I believe we have done so with the safeguards we have put in place.