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

What Senators Ruane and Flynn are proposing is to prohibit the use of devices that are capable of processing using FRT. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, specific primary legislation would be necessary for the use of FRT. This Bill would retain the status quo.

We have obviously introduced plans to bring forward a separate Bill looking at facial recognition technology. Separate legislation will ensure that we have time to tease out and debate the issues we know have been discussed previously. I will say again on the record, however, that I believe it is absolutely essential that gardaí have access to FRT for very serious crime, including threats to national security, critical infrastructure, homicide, rape, aggravated sexual assault, child sexual abuse and abduction, including child abduction. Gardaí should have the tools available to them to be able to work against the most serious violent offences committed against vulnerable victims. That will be done at a later date. It is not necessary that the amendment be included in the Bill because we will have to bring back separate legislation.