Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I move amendmentNo. 57:

In page 29, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following:

"19.—(1) All Garda stations shall be internally and externally monitored and recorded by CCTV or the equivalent and the recordings shall be secured for at least a year unless an allegation has been made of abuse by a Garda or it is required for the prosecution of an offence in which case it shall be retained.".

The purpose of these amendments is to ensure mandatory video-taping at all Garda stations. Although the Minister has announced that recordings take place within interview suites we need to go beyond that. The advance of technology allows, for example, the equivalent of closed circuit television to cover Garda rooms internally, and not just the external perimeter of the stations. During statements on a motion establishing the commission of investigation into the case of the late Dean Lyons, I indicated my intention to table an amendment to introduce a statutory requirement for all Garda interrogations to be video-taped and that recommendation is part of this.

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