I have a Topical Issue matter later so I am not being the Grinch if I do not say happy Christmas to everyone. It would feel a bit silly to do it twice. I absolutely agree with the Minister who has said many times that gardaí need to be properly equipped and need adequate resources. We need them to be adequately equipped and resourced so they can do the very important work we need them to do. As was outlined, we are not opposed to the use of this technology per se or to the use of bodycams but it has to be in the right context and it has to be with an eye at all times to the potential human rights concerns the Minister is more than well aware of. They cause concerns and cause them in some communities more than others. We know this. Deputy Ward has outlined some of those concerns. When I spoke on this matter in the House previously I drew the Minister's attention to the Irish Network Against Racism study that had been published at the time. It found: "...survey participants described traumatic experiences while being stopped by members of the Garda Síochána, including strip searches, property damage, and wrongful arrests, some of which had long-lasting psychological impacts." Rural and Dublin-based groups spoke of concerns about racial profiling and disproportionate stopping of young black men by police. Both groups shared examples. The Minister will know the report, which shared a lot of examples. Every single word of this report is echoed by the experience and evidence from my constituency. I put on record, as I did at that time, my commendation of those members of An Garda Síochána who are putting their hearts and souls into community policing and really trying to get this right. There are some members, plenty of them, who go above and beyond, but the report tells us there is a problem. There are already concerns about racial profiling right here right now and those concerns have been outlined, but this could potentially be made much worse, as suggested by international evidence, by the use of recording devices by An Garda Síochána. There is a real need to be cautious and to listen to evidence because the Minister's direction of travel is clear. Whether he says it outright or not, it can be seen what way he intends to bring this. Therefore, I urge him to be very cautious and listen carefully to the concerns of such organisations as the Irish Network Against Racism, INAR, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL. They have seen and know, from international examples, the potential pitfalls and we need to be careful and aware of those. I have spoken to constituents about this, because people have questions and will ask about the body cameras and what it means. I will tell the Minister straight. There are concerns. People have approached me and expressed concerns about the international experience. It does not mean, because people got it wrong internationally, that we necessarily have to get it wrong nationally, but people are very concerned. They also worry that this is intended by the Government as some sort of distraction, that people should look over there and forget that out of the most recent recruitment to An Garda Síochána, north County Dublin got one additional garda. They worry I am being told to look at the body cameras and not at the fact that my area is about 40 gardaí down from the number it had in 2020, while the population has increased. I have written to the Minister about this in the past and I will write to him again. I will take Rush as an example. The Garda station there was closed. Since then, the population has risen by 20%. The Garda station is now open for two hours per week. It is not adequate and no amount of technology will make up for the front-line policing that is necessary.

Sentiment score: -0.06