Justice Committee commences pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill 2021

Representatives from the Policing Authority, the Data Protection Commission, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Garda Representative Association and Officials from the Department of Justice will be in attendance.

The Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill 2021 will provide a legal basis for the deployment and use of body-worn cameras (or ‘body cams’) by members of An Garda Síochána; and the extension of the circumstances in which Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) devices may be used by An Garda Síochána.

Committee Cathaoirleach James Lawless TD said: “The Committee and I are committed to ensuring we continue to have meaningful input into key legislation and policy areas which have real significance and to continue to considers policy matters including those in the fields of justice, security and the rule of law. And as part of that work, the scrutiny of this bill will see important discussions around the potential changes to policing in Ireland and the wider debate around civil liberties, people’s rights including data protection, which are just some of the topics covered at our meeting.”

The Cathaoirleach added: “The Committee look forward to a constructive discussion and a chance to get a deeper insight into the proposed legislation, allowing the representatives raise crucial questions and for us to discuss possible solutions which will better equip us when making forthcoming decisions.”

The Joint Committee on Justice has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

You can view the meeting in Committee Room 1 on the Oireachtas website. 

More information can be found on the dedicated Committee Webpage. Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.