Ms Edel McGinley:

The Garda does have powers to stop persons and ask them for identification, but that is linked to ethnic profiling. How does a garda know to stop somebody? Is it because they are different, because of how they present or what? That is the risk with the Border issue and the redeployment of staff. While they can stop and ask people, how can they identify that person? Is it because their skin is a different colour or because they look different? What identifier would cause them to do that? There are serious concerns in that regard and there is no oversight of why people are stopped and searched. There is nothing in legislation to say we have to document why we stop and search somebody. There is a lack of visibility and transparency in that process and we do need legislation in that area. I know it is outside the scope of this committee at the moment but it is a growing concern.