Ireland’s government has signed off on new legislation that would formally authorize An Garda Síochána to use biometric recognition tools, including facial analysis, in criminal investigations, national security matters, and missing persons cases.
The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 would allow investigators to run “retrospective” biometric analysis on images and video that the police already hold, such as CCTV, mobile phone footage, and evidence submitted by the public. The government frames this as an efficiency and wellbeing measure, arguing that automated tools can dramatically reduce the time officers spend manually reviewing large volumes of often distressing material, including child sexual abuse and human trafficking content.
Under the bill, biometric analysis is positioned as an investigative support tool rather than an automated decision-making system. Results would not trigger policing actions on their own; a trained Garda officer would review and interpret any biometric matches before they are used as part of an investigation. The bill also stresses “necessary and proportionate” use, restricting biometric analysis to investigations involving arrestable offences, state security threats, or searches for missing persons.
The framework is wrapped in layers of governance. A Code of Practice will spell out how biometric technologies may be deployed, with specific requirements around data protection and human rights safeguards. The code will be drafted by An Garda Síochána in consultation with stakeholders, then finalized by the Garda Commissioner and laid before the Oireachtas for approval, giving legislators an explicit oversight role.
Ongoing monitoring will rest with a High Court judge, who will have the power to access records relating to the use of biometric analysis and issue an annual report to the Taoiseach. This judicial layer is meant to provide independent scrutiny over how the technology is used in practice.
In parallel, ministers have also greenlit work on a separate general scheme that would cover both retrospective and live biometric identification, including automated comparison of images against databases of known individuals. Any live biometric identification would need to comply with the EU AI Act, which places tight restrictions on real-time biometric systems used in law enforcement. That follow-on legislation is likely to be more contentious, but the current bill already marks a significant step in codifying biometric tools in Irish policing.
Sources: Government of Ireland, Oireachtas
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
