EU proposal to see gardaí get greater evidence access

GARDAÍ will be able to get evidence including bank records and DNA from police in any EU country under a proposed European Evidence Warrant.

Ireland is one of the countries supporting the idea that would fast-track the gathering of evidence against a person in the fight against crime and terrorism.

However, several countries were not as enthusiastic when the proposal was discussed at an EU justice ministers meeting in Dublin yesterday. The Irish agreed to set up a working group among senior civil servants to tease out the difficulties that ranged from cost to constitutional concerns.