Garda Equipment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 March 2015

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Ceisteanna (330)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

330. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the policies and procedures surrounding EvoFIT, the new Garda facial recognition software, particularly relating to the compilation of its database; her views on the compliance of Garda policy and procedure with data protection laws in general; if EvoFIT and policing policy in this regard have been specifically pre-checked for compliance with privacy and data protection laws; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10308/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

There seems to be an assumption in the Deputy's question that the EvoFIT system recently deployed by An Garda Síochána is a form of facial recognition software. This is not the case. I am informed by the Garda authorities that EvoFIT is in fact software which allows a member of the Garda Síochána to assemble a full electronic facial likeness based on the recollections of witnesses and victims using a store of images of individual facial features (e.g. noses, eyes, mouths, hairstyles etc.) held within the system. In effect, EvoFIT carries out the same function that police sketch artists would traditionally be used for. The system does not store or use personal information, nor is it used to store the composite images it helps to create. Accordingly, no data protection considerations arise.