Wednesday, September 11th 2013
I welcome today’s announcement of the establishment of a DNA database which will be a massive help to An Garda Síochána in tackling crime. The database will have the capacity to link crimes and identify suspects in relation to unsolved crimes, allowing Gardaí to make better use of their resources in targeting their investigations.
Today’s announcement is yet another example of how this Government is delivering on reforming the way things are done in this country. It is imperative that we are ahead of the game when it comes to tackling crime in this country and by having a DNA database. Fine Gael has been campaigning for such a database for a long time and I am delighted that we have delivered on another key commitment in the Programme for Government.
The information that An Garda Síochána will be able to gather from this database will be invaluable when it comes to fighting crimes such as burglary, assault, murder and sexual offences. While ensuring that this legislation fully respects human rights, the Gardaí will also be able to engage in smarter policing and work more closely with their European counterparts.
I would like to thank Minister Shatter for his hard work and dedication in bringing this project to fruition.