Plans for gardaí to use facial recognition technology
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is set to announce plans for the use of facial recognition technology to tackle crime when she addresses the Garda Representative Association (GRA) conference.
Damien McCarthy, GRA representative for Dublin Metropolitan Region, South Central Division told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny show that such technology would provide a “very positive” advantage when tackling serious crime and could speed up the process saving “thousands of hours” sifting through CCTV footage.
However, Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless warned of problems with facial recognition, citing a 2019 report from London Met which found the wrong person was identified in up to 80 per cent of cases.
Leaving Certificate results date still unknown
Minister for Education Norma Foley has said the date for Leaving Certificate results cannot be announced until the State Examinations Commission knows how many students will sit the exams in July.
Wexford TD Paul Kehoe, who is Chair of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, said urgent clarity is needed so students, their families and the higher-level institutions can best prepare for the upcoming academic term.
Medical scientists suspend further strike action
Medical scientists have suspended their industrial action for Wednesday after accepting an invitation to attend the Labour Court for exploratory talks on the dispute.
Both the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA) and HSE/Department of Health accepted the invitation.
According to the union, the action was taken in frustration over a chronic recruitment and retention crisis in the sector arising out of poor pay.
The strike action has already seen up to 30,000 medical procedures and appointments cancelled.
HSE launches harm reduction campaign for festivals
HSE teams will be sharing harm reduction advice to drug users at Irish festivals this year amid the emergence of "very worrying trends" across Europe.
According to the HSE, the new campaign will offer practical harm-reduction information, as well as advice on how to reduce the risks associated with drug use.
There will be teams of HSE trained volunteers at a small number of festivals this year who will be available to talk about drug trends and harm-reduction practices with attendees.
The volunteers are people working in existing harm reduction services, as well as people from the nightlife community.
Dublin Airport brawl
A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with a brawl at Dublin Airport.
Another man was taken to Beaumont Hospital after a fight erupted yesterday evening.
A large number of gardaí and airport police responded to the public order incident in Terminal One.
One man was arrested and detained at Swords Garda Station before later being charged. The man is due to appear before Swords District Court on June 14th.
Footage of the fight has been widely shared on social media.
