Sinn Féin Senator and European candidate Lynn Boylan has expressed alarm at the lack of assurances from the Department of Justice on the threat of tracking devices.
She said that these devices are “easily available,” and statistics from the United Kingdom show there has been a 317% rise in their use in stalking and domestic violence cases in the last 5 years.
Boylan remarked “the best Minister McEntee could do was state tracking devices only “may” be captured by the Irish stalking legislation.”
She criticised the supposed lack of communication between the Department of Justice and the Department of Communications on tightening up regulation of these readily accessible devices.
Boylan cited the case of Áine O’Neil, who received notifications on her phone that an AirTag was tracking her every movement such as going to work, meeting friends and going the supermarket.
“The emotional toll inflicted upon her led to her being forced to abandon her dreams of working as an actor and producer in LA due to incessant tracking and the inability to disable the tag,” Boylan stated.
She said that Irish citizens “urgently need assurances that tracking devices cannot be exploited for stalking purposes under Irish legislation.”
“It is imperative that legislation is swiftly reviewed to ensure we can combat this insidious form of abuse.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has committed to raising the issue with Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan is welcome, which Boylan said “highlights the urgent need for greater awareness at the highest levels of government.”