Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief. The Minister is the one seeking to expand the scope of this Bill. This is us responding to the expansion he has proposed. Frankly, his expansion includes every single thing. That is what the definition he is proposing effectively is.

One could argue we should not try to have to name every single thing but the answer is also not to use every single device which is what he has here. It is literally any device for the gathering of data: "any device, apparatus or equipment". It is the Minister who is proposing this expansion and inserting it into the Bill. If he has specific cases which he has repeatedly used, he should address those specific cases but simply put that he wants to have an absolutely expanded scope. This debate has been brought on by the Minister's attempt to widen the scope of what is covered by the definition of cameras.Most people have an understanding of cameras. I am sure people will understand if the Minister says cameras, speed guns or even specifies certain categories of device but his phrase is "any device, apparatus or equipment used or capable of being used for the gathering of data". Therefore, it is not us introducing a big, wide topic but the Minister's amendment that is opening up a big, wide topic. If we wanted to address it in an efficient way for the purposes of this road traffic Bill - we can come back on all the regulation and the justice issues - the easiest way for now would be for the Minister to narrow the scope within his Bill to the actual purposes of the Bill in terms of the relevant devices there. Then we can all debate the wider issues at a later stage and be informed by the conclusion of the EU debate.