A procurement process to acquire body-worn cameras for gardai is to begin after being approved by the Government.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee secured Cabinet approval to progress the current Garda Siochana (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 in the Oireachtas as a priority in the coming weeks.
The cameras being procured will have facial recognition software, pending this technology being legislated for in a separate Bill, also approved by Cabinet on Tuesday.
Read More: Met Eireann forecasts thunderstorms and 'heavy' rain before temperature swing
The use of facial recognition technology will be included in the Garda Siochana (Digital Management and Facial Recognition Technology) Bill 2023, and will be drafted to use the technology only in serious crime investigations.
Concerns were raised by the Green Party around the use of FRT but Minister Simon Harris said it was unacceptable that the only people at a protest who did not have recording equipment were gardai.
Ms McEntee said: “This will be retrospective facial technology used in the most severe of instances, so for the likes of child sexual abuse, child abduction cases, murder cases, serious sexual assault.
“This is about making sure that gardai have the tools and the technology to access information that they already have.”
READ NEXT:
Missing Titanic submersible pilot has family in Cork as rescuers hold out hope
Irish soldiers in Lebanon targeted again, months after murder of Pte Sean Rooney
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
