I also take this opportunity to thank the Ceann Comhairle, her staff and the entire staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas. At this time, I usually apologise sometimes for the nuisance that I cause. Deputy Carthy has requested that I do that.

Sentiment score: 0.36

That is it. I am getting it out of the way early. Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh go léir. I hope it is an incredibly peaceful and safe time for everyone because we have seen far too much tragedy in the last while. Deputy Carthy dealt with a significant amount of the issues relating to this Bill. Some of those issues were brought up during pre-legislative scrutiny. Obviously, this is about that period where we question when it is biometric recognition and biometric categorisation. In the world we now live in, there are particular issues with regard to artificial intelligence. Even the bodies the State has put forward have spoken on the particular issues they see. We all want to see the gardaí given the tools, resources and numbers they require, which is an issue due to the abject failure of the Government in that regard. We want to ensure we can deal with all the new-found difficulties that exist in this world. It was put very well in the sense that we need to make sure that we do not drift into a surveillance society and that we protect, where we can, people's information and data. It is absolutely necessary to have an element of trialling of such technologies. There is a particular worry when we are dealing with technology and particularly if we are talking about the use of third-party companies. It is about value for money, but it is also about ensuring data is secure and that we do not have people profiting above and beyond what is acceptable. I do not think that is any way acceptable. The point has been made in relation to surveillance technology and the huge number of companies that would be engaged in what we can only have called, because that is what it was, a genocide in Gaza. We need to ensure we have no truck and no connection whatsoever with companies such as that. That would be particularly unacceptable for the Garda. It would not be okay to use the resources and tools of those who are involved in absolutely heinous crimes as we try to deal with criminal issues here. I rarely do not bring up that wider issue when I am dealing with justice. I have had the conversation with the Minister before that we are in a very different world and that there are huge risks. It does not matter what committee I am on, whether it is the Joint Committee on Children and Equality dealing directly with the Garda, the Joint Committee on Disability Matters or the Joint Committee on Drugs Use, which Deputy Gannon chairs. The fact is that the only thing people talk about when they are talking about best practice are resources and funding, but they particularly talk about inter-agency action. I did welcome some of the idea behind the community safety partnerships. We need to see them up and running. I do not think there is anyone who is particularly happy that TDs are not involved in relation to it, but I get the idea that it is above and beyond policing and it is about involving all the agencies. It is about involving the entire State apparatus. It is about involving the community voluntary sector and youth justice projects. It is about ensuring that there is a holistic, comprehensive means of dealing with the issues that are out there. I have said before that we have to look at the powers the Garda and local authorities have and the resources and powers Tusla and others have. We are talking about the early interventions that are needed within families to give that support. We know that for an awful lot of the issues we are dealing with, whether we are talking about drugs, crime, organised crime and even sometimes disorganised crime, obviously inequality and poverty is at the root. We need to find a way and means of dealing with that, but we also need to find a way and means of dealing with those who have their foot on the neck of our communities, whether we are talking about drug debt intimidation or those who are running teenagers as drug mules and other such things. We have to have a real conversation on the resources and what is required.

Sentiment score: 0.10