Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I agreed in the previous amendment with the broad concern the three Senators set out around how we use facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence and the general risk - reality in many jurisdictions - of the surveillance of citizens that is totally inappropriate. I absolutely accept that.

I said in my response to the earlier amendment that we all seek to get the balance right. There are instances where we need technology to protect citizens and it is appropriate, subject to the correct regulation. This amendment is coming from the need for this, and the definition is set within our Department, so I will give two very specific examples. First is the collection of data from a speed gun. Is that a camera? What sort of device is that? A second example would toll tag readers, where a person going through a toll barrier swipes a car or has electronic tolling or fast tolling. Again, this technology continues to evolve. Going back to some of the original legislation, would we have foreseen the development of that technology? No. We have to provide some flexibility that there are technological devices evolving which we want to provide for and regulate. That is why this amendment is needed. It is to allow us to use some of the data from the likes of those speed guns or toll tag readers for the benefit of citizens, not for surveillance. That is why the amendment is being proposed.