Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senators will recall that we inserted a new Part into the Bill relating to the powers of the authority to inspect premises and dwellings. The amendments in this group make some minor adjustments to these powers.

Amendment No. 44 has been tabled on the advice of the Attorney General to ensure that an inspector may use reasonable force to enter a place in the exercise of his or her functions under this section. Amendment No. 45 involves the insertion of the word "deletes" into the phrase "destroys, defaces or conceals." The intention is to ensure that a person who deletes or otherwise tampers with evidence is committing an offence and is subject to the penalties outlined in the section. This is needed in particular for material held on a computer.