Simon McGarr joined Sharon Tobin on Today with David McCullagh to discuss privacy, surveillance and how much access the gardaí should have to third party live CCTV footage as An Garda Síochána open consultation with the public on this question.
Everywhere you go in the public sphere could potentially be accessed and you could be tracked on it. And so there are EU laws, most significantly the EU’s AI Act, which are there to protect your rights to be able to move around in the public area without being tracked unnecessarily.
The two discuss current safeguards and limitations, AI enhanced surveillance, and the pitfall of creating new grounds for criminal appeals due to accidental or inadvertent loopholes in Irish legislation that conflict with EU law.
McGarr Solicitors
McGarr Solicitors is an award-winning Dublin law firm providing expert legal advice and representation to individuals and businesses across Ireland. Recognised among the Irish Independent and Statista Top 75 Law Firms in Ireland in both 2022 and 2023, and named Civil Litigation Law Firm of the Year in Ireland 2025, the firm is known for combining legal excellence with a personal, client-focused approach. McGarr Solicitors has particular expertise in GDPR and data protection, medical negligence, personal injury, commercial law, corporate governance, and conveyancing, with a strong reputation for handling complex and high-profile cases while delivering practical, strategic advice tailored to each client’s needs.