Garda commissioner challenged over requests to media to hand over riot images

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has been publicly challenged about requests from gardai for media organisations to hand over images from anti-migration public order incidents in Ireland.

In response to concerns that the move was putting photographers covering riots in danger, Mr Harris said it was his responsibility to investigate criminal actions and gather evidence.

Recently, several news organisations, including the PA news agency, have received requests from gardai for images as part of investigatory efforts to identify perpetrators after violence flared in north Dublin.

Last week, gardai came under attack and fires were set several times at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock which has been earmarked as housing for asylum seekers.

The latest requests follow the Garda’s pursuit of court orders to seize images taken by media photographers during riots in Dublin last November.

Following a meeting of the Policing Authority on Thursday, Mr Harris was asked by the media about the policy of pursuing photographers’ images.

The commissioner said: “My obligation is to thoroughly investigate actions which are criminal in their nature.

I have a lawful and legal and legislative responsibility to do all I can to gain evidence

“I have a lawful and legal and legislative responsibility to do all I can to gain evidence.”

Mr Harris said the Garda would pursue the images by seeking permission or else gaining a court warrant.

Challenged that this could lead to media organisations not covering public order situations, Mr Harris responded: “It is my responsibility to investigate and to bring offenders to justice and that is through obtaining whatever evidence I can.”

The NUJ’s Irish Secretary, Seamus Dooley, said the union would be seeking a meeting with Mr Harris.

He said: “Reporters and photographers are independent witnesses, they are present to observe and report on the actions of all parties, including the gardai.

“There is a real danger that if journalists are perceived as harvesting information for the gardai they will be perceived as legitimate targets by the sinister forces behind recent public order incidents.”

Mr Dooley said it was “worrying and disappointing that the commissioner seems intent on ignoring the risks involved in seeking media images”.

He added: “Mr Harris has invoked what he described as his lawful and legal and legislative responsibility to do all he can to gain evidence.

“The exercise of his powers and responsibilities must be proportionate and also have due regard to the role of the media in a democracy, the right of the media to function safely and the well established rights of journalists to protect sources of information.”

The PA news agency was one of a number of outlets which was compelled to hand over pictures taken of the Dublin city centre disorder on November 23 2023 after investigating gardai secured an order from a Dublin District Court judge.

PA’s editor-in-chief, Pete Clifton, voiced strong objections and warned of the safety implications for members of the media covering such incidents if a perception is created that content they are capturing will subsequently be used as evidence in criminal justice proceedings.