On the Deputy's specific question about the format of the liaison with the DPC, there was a lot of interaction with it about the scheme of the Bill. I advise Deputies that my Department, in accordance with Article 36.4 of the GDPR and section 84(12) of the Data Protection Act 2018, the DPC was consulted about the specifics of the drafting of the Bill throughout. This was done in writing, not orally. The Data Protection Commission has carefully examined all data protection-related measures in the Bill and the relate…

As I said, this legislation applies to criminal law enforcement bodies. We know that the DPC is not one such body. We consulted the DPC about the general scheme and it commented on the benefit of information sharing with listed public authorities. An expert team from the DPC would have been in touch with my Department for detailed engagement on a written basis, which is not unusual. At this stage, I have nothing further to add about the matter.

I know that time is sometimes very precious in this House. Section 20 of the legislation requires the publication of an annual report. That is set out very clearly in the legislation.

The annual report shall provide information as the director considers appropriate or as the director may direct. The section deliberately did not prescribe in detail exactly what statistical data should be included, as we are setting up a new entity. Until we have some experience of how it operates, it would be premature to determine what statistical information is most relevant and available. My Department believes that we should maintain a flexible approach at this stage but I will put on the record that I see no…

In relation to the annual report, Deputy Carthy was curious as to whether it would be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. Section 20(4) provides that it would be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas. As to what the contents of the report would be and what would form part of the report, that would be at the discretion of the Minister. Under section 20(3), the annual report "shall be in such form, and include such information in respect of the performance by the Director of his or her functions, as the Dir…

Orders must be processed in ten days or 96 hours.

In relation to the Deputy’s question on the number of service providers that will be affected, 420 have been identified but the Department believes it may affect up to 600 service providers. I hope that provides clarification. I propose to address amendments Nos. 7 and 12 together. Regretfully, I cannot accept either of these amendments. The purpose of establishing an independent office is to ensure that the Minister, as a member of the Executive, does not have any direct role in the enforcement of the obligations …

Regretfully, I must oppose both amendments. Section 32 is intended to deal with a situation where an investigation is under way by an authorised officer into a possible contravention by a service provider of a relevant obligation under the directive - notification of designated establishment or legal representative or failure to provide same with the necessary powers and resources. It could also apply where an adjudication is being made as to whether to impose a fine for a breach of certain provisions of the e-evid…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on combating firearms trafficking and other firearms…

I thank the House for facilitating this motion today. I thank colleagues from across the House for their contributions. I would like to address some specific questions raised. Deputies Nolan, Michael Collins, Danny Healy-Rae and Carthy raised the issue of the legal acquisition and use of firearms particularly in rural areas. Their points were well made in relation to the use of hunting rifles and rifles used to protect property from animals. However, this proposal will not redefine the rules on legal ownership of f…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on this important initiative proposed by Deputy Malcolm Byrne. The Deputy is to be commended on his work on this issue over many years and I am pleased to advise that the Government does not propose to oppose the progression of this Bill. As artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, so too do the ways in which it can be misused, as outlined by Deputy Byrne. For many women an…

I thank everyone for their contributions and Deputy Byrne for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the House. As Deputy Ó Cearúil says, Deputy Byrne was way ahead of the curve in relation to this. When they mention art imitating life, the Deputy's Bill came before the issues, especially when it came to Grok and the controversy we saw in late 2025. I noted something Deputy Ó Snodaigh mentioned in relation to Grok. On foot of the controversy and the concerns that we had, and as he will probably be aware, the Eu…

Amendment No. 16 is a technical amendment to section 10 to delete “in or” and substitute “in, on or” for precision in page 10, line 21. Amendment No. 17 is an amendment to section 10 to delete lines 23 and 24 and align the language with other provisions of the Bill. On amendment No. 18 in the name of Senator McDowell, this is not considered necessary as section 10 is not intended to establish a separate regime based on whether a vehicle is attended or unattended but instead operates where a member has reasonable gr…

I have no further comment to make.

I thank Senator McDowell. I think the point is well made and we will discuss it further with the Department.

I thank the Senator. I do recall the coverage at the time in relation to that incident. I think it was a Muslim lady who was involved. While I understand the concerns reflected in this amendment, sections 9 and 10 already establish a robust statutory threshold of reasonable grounds for suspicion. This threshold precludes treating personal traits like age, race or clothing style as independently constituting reasonable grounds, as such reliance would be discriminatory and unconstitutional. The amendment also poses o…

I appreciate the sensitivities of the situation the amendment seeks to address in relation to that particular incident. I think it was one lady at the time. Under sections 9 and 10, a Garda member must have reasonable grounds to search a person or vehicle. The Bill already provides that gardaí will require a person to attend a Garda custody facility for the purposes of a search of the nature that the amendment describes. Once a person enters a Garda station, the member in charge is responsible for their welfare and…

The threat of a cavity search should never be used to intimidate or cause psychological harm. An Garda Síochána has strict guidelines and rules on how intimate searches are to be conducted. They can never be conducted in a public space; it always has to be done in a private setting. Depending on the particular power the Garda is using, searches should only be carried out where necessary and cannot be used for harassment. It they are ever used for harassment, that should be reported to the ombudsman. On the figures …

These are technical amendments. Amendment No. 21 is intended to correct a cross-reference in section 11(3). Amendment No. 23 will refine the wording in section 13 by deleting “, in accordance with this section,”. Amendment No. 29 makes a technical change to section 14: “Subject to this section, when” will be replaced by “When”. Amendment No. 48 amends section 25. It is a technical change to delete “made” and substitute “given” for consistency with section 25(2). Amendment No. 50 amends section 29 by deleting “to gi…

Obviously there are serious consequences. Regarding subsection (c), the proposed requirement for a mandatory non-compliance warning is unnecessary because under section 12, the legal requirement for a notice is satisfied. When the Garda states the precise statute power authorising the search, this establishes its compulsory nature. Mandating an additional explicit warning regarding criminal prosecution serves no practical legal purpose. Instead it risks unnecessarily complicating a standard procedure that is alread…