Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 January 2026
1667. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his position regarding the issue of facial recognition technology being broadly available in society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74852/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraBiometric recognition technology has many widespread uses across the public and private sectors, ranging from professional security solutions to convenient identity and access solutions like unlocking a smartphone.
If a member of the public has concerns regarding the use of their personal data, I would encourage them to contact the Data Protection Commission.
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is Ireland’s independent Data Protection Authority under the GDPR. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, the DPC is statutorily independent in the performance of its responsibilities and functions, as is required under GDPR.
The Government fully supports the DPC and understands the critical role it plays in delivering a stable regulatory environment for business to grow, while protecting citizens’ data protection rights.
Likewise any criminal abuse of such technology will receive the appropriate response from law enforcement. I would encourage anyone who is concerned that they have been a victim of a crime to contact An Garda Síochána directly. An Garda Síochána is the relevant authority for investigating crimes and anyone who wishes to report a crime should contact a member of An Garda Síochána immediately, or call the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government includes commitments in relation to the use of facial recognition technology by An Garda Síochána and I have recently published the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 which gives effect to some of these commitments.
