THE CABINET WILL tomorrow see the draft of a new bill that will allow for the use of overt body-worn cameras by gardaí. 

The Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill will also include provisions governing the use of community-based CCTV systems. 

The proposal for gardaí to use body-worn cameras was a recommendation made in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said the bill also provides a code of practice governing the circumstances when it is appropriate to use the cameras and the circumstances when it is not. 

The code of practice will also cover issues including the secure storage of recordings, access rights and the retention of data. 

The bill is expected to be enacted next year with a number of garda associations welcoming the plans. 

“A very positive development and one which ⁦AGSI⁩ has been advocating for. Proper training and policies governing their use will be needed also,” Antoinette Cunningham of the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors said this morning. 

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has voiced concerns about the plans however, citing privacy rights and describing the cameras as “invasive and unnecessary”