Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Lobbying Organisation Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Date published 21 Sep, 2022

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 May, 2022 to 31 Aug, 2022

Specific Details Usage of Facial Recognition Technology

Intended results Request that a Parliamentary Question be asked to determine if Clearview AI has been used or is being used by her Department or any other agencies under her remit, including An Garda Siochana. To ask a Parliamentary Question seeking specific details of the database of images upon which she proposes An Garda Siochana would use Facial Recognition Technology to identify someone of interest; where would that database originate from; how would those images be collected and stored. To communicate concerns about Department of Justice plans to give gardai powers to use FRT.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Olga Cronin and Kris Shrishak

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Petition to Minister for Jusitice, Helen McEntee TD, asking public to express opposition to usage of FRT by An Garda Síochána.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Email sent to Catherine Murphy TD on 30 May 2022.

Letter (1)

Letter addressed to Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD and all cabinet members on 20 June 2022.

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Catherine Murphy TD on 29 June 2022.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice)

Catherine Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Martin An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Leo Varadkar An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Education)

Michael McGrath Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Darragh O'Brien Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Charlie McConalogue Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Rural and Community Development)

Simon Harris Minister (Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science)

Eamon Ryan Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Catherine Martin Minister (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Roderic O'Gorman Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)