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

I thank colleagues for their support for all three motions. It is desirable that we would avail of the opt-in, that we would do so within the time period and that we would send a very strong signal that we want to participate and share this information with the three countries we have mentioned, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. In recent years, we have done everything we can to opt into these types of measures to make sure that we are working on a par with our counterparts in other member states, with our police force working effectively with other jurisdictions and making sure that we can co-operate when it comes to dealing with organised crime and terrorism. As all Deputies have pointed out, it is of a more transnational nature these days and we have seen the impact it can have not just in our own country also abroad.

I agree with the need to get the balance right. We need to make sure that people's privacy is protected. I am a very firm believer that somebody's personal privacy should never overrule the right for somebody's safety or protection or that of state security or protection overall. However, I think that the balance is struck here. I assure Deputies that when it comes to GDPR, the Commission when it engages must, and of course will, adhere to and comply with the GDPR rules at a European level as well. That will need to be part of any agreement that takes place. However, as has been pointed out, we are not talking about a huge amount of detail here. It is very basic information but that basic information alone can be very helpful when trying to deal with particular cases or when investigating cases, but also in trying to prevent and act as a deterrent as well.

While it may not seem something we can communicate, it is important we communicate this is the type of work this country and our gardaí are involved in and that we as a country are committed to working with counterparts across the European Union and beyond to combat and take seriously our part in combating terrorism and serious crime. It is an important law enforcement tool and I thank Deputies for their support in making sure we can be part of these three options.

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