Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
61. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on work to publish legislation with regard to the use of facial recognition technology by gardaí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33474/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources, the equipment and the technology necessary to do its job in protecting people from harm and saving lives. As part of this commitment, I am working to ensure gardaí have body-worn cameras and to extend the powers governing An Garda Síochána's use of CCTV and automatic number plate recognition, ANPR. Such technology will enhance front-line policing capability and help to prevent crime and prosecute those involved in criminal activity. Body-worn cameras, in particular, will help to improve front-line capability with the accurate recording of incidents, expedite analysis, enhance situational awareness and protect police from harm. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 completed Committee Stage last week. When it is enacted, it will provide a legal basis for the deployment and use of body-worn cameras by An Garda Síochána.
I am also committed to introducing facial recognition technology, FRT, in a number of limited and defined circumstances, as a tool to search evidence in the most serious of cases. If we are providing An Garda Síochána with the ability, through CCTV, ANPR or body-worn cameras, to gather all of this data, we need to provide ways in which they can go through the data. Instead of a member of An Garda Síochána sitting for hundreds of hours looking at footage, which is what happens in certain cases, facial recognition or other types of AI could be used to identify in a matter of minutes a possible suspect or potentially to protect someone who is in a very vulnerable or difficult situation. As the Deputy will be aware, following consultation with Government colleagues, the use of FRT will now be provided for in separate legislation in the new Garda Síochána (digital management and facial recognition technology) Bill 2023. A number of safeguards will be included in that Bill. For example, a code of practice will be required, mass surveillance and profiling will be prohibited and the operation of the Bill will be kept under review by a High Court judge.
Essentially, this is about reducing the amount of time it takes for Garda members to go through video footage. This would be of particular benefit in serious cases like murder and child sexual abuse. In the case of child sexual abuse, the number of images that gardaí often have to deal with on devices makes it very difficult to deal with what might be real and new cases. This will help them in protecting people who are currently victims of child sexual abuse. This is something we need to progress as quickly as possible.
I am supportive of any measure that will enhance the capacity and the capability of An Garda Síochána. The reason I asked this as a separate question to the one on body-worn cameras has to do with the caution that is associated with the idea of facial recognition software and the concerns that have been expressed by NGOs and State actors that I know the Minister is only too familiar with. The code of practice will be a crucial element of this as the legislation is developed. I certainly look forward to working constructively with the Minister, along with colleagues on the justice committee, over the coming months when the legislation finds its way to us
This is about getting a balance, making sure we give An Garda Síochána the tools to be able to deal with the really serious cases I have mentioned, and protecting people's rights and their privacy. It is about striking that balance, making sure we have a level of oversight and also making sure we are in step with our colleagues at European level. This Bill will be progressed very much in line with a code of conduct that has been developed by the European Data Protection Board. All of the data protection agencies across Europe are coming together to put in place the codes of practice or codes of conduct that should be applied for this type of technology. It is about getting that balance and I am committed to ensuring that in this legislation. I look forward to working with colleagues when we bring this legislation forward, which we hope to do in the new term in September.
