Mattie McGrath urges caution on European data-sharing and cooperation
Mattie McGrath spoke in a debate about a Commission document on European cooperation, data-sharing and law enforcement collaboration. He warned against rushing into measures that could erode national standing in Europe and citizens' liberties, and urged caution over agreements with third countries and Schengen information sharing.
Concerns over European cooperation
McGrath said he supported stronger police forces, Interpol and Tonga supports in principle but expressed deep concern about a large Commission document handed to European countries. He warned that some measures risk eroding the country's status in Europe and that the proposals are complex, not suited to a brief debate.
Data, research and private parties
He noted the document aims to enable Europe to cooperate with private parties and to process large, complex data sets while strengthening Europe's role in research and innovation. Although he called those aims "noble," he emphasised caution about the practical and legal implications of such data-sharing and private-sector cooperation.
Liberties, treaties and vaccine passports
McGrath argued that liberties are at risk in the current climate and criticised what he saw as a steady erosion of freedoms. He referenced a ministerial correction of the record and raised concerns about "European passports for the vaccines," asking how many more treaties the country will sign up to without full scrutiny.
Call for deliberation and citizen protection
He urged colleagues to "make haste slowly," to fully understand what is being signed and to protect citizens and the laws of the land. While acknowledging the need to tackle organised crime and cybercrime, he insisted legislators must be "wide awake" to potential negative consequences and proceed carefully.
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I'm Margo, I too am happy to speak on this today, and while we're all, and we want to have, you know, stronger police forces and Interpol and Tonga supports, we have to be very, very careful as well, that we're not signing up to something that's, you know, that's eroding our, really, our own status in Europe, and we have so many of these, and I see that the document that was handed to the, from the Commission, you know, it's a massive document that was handed on the 5th of March, I think, to the, to the, our European countries, and there's a lot of issues in enabling Europe to cooperate effectively with private parties, we're all, we're all for that, and enabling Europe to process, process large, complex data, data sets, and strengthening Europe's role in research and innovation, of course, they're all very noble aims, but I would have concerns, certainly, I, as I said, 100%, we must be able to meet and deal with criminals and sophisticated criminal gangsters, and sophisticated crime, cyber crime, and others, but, I mean, we must be careful as well, so, it's a difficult issue, as I'm concerned, and, certainly, Europe's cooperation with third countries, and, you know what I mean, I see, also, mentioned there, giving information to the Schengen, and organisations as well, so, it's pretty complex, and, in the time of, and, that we're in at the moment, and we can see how liberties, seriously eroded, and, before I get another lecture from the Minister, maybe today, as I got last night, and, I won't take any lecture from him, I believe, er, that we are, our, our own, er, liberties are being hugely restrained, and it's a dangerous time, detournished, er, at least, er, corrected record today, when he said that nobody opposed any of the, er, issues here, I said we had, and he corrected the record, so I accept that, but it's worrying, and I heard his reply to Deputy O.D. as well, about European passports for the vaccines, what are we going to be in, and how many more treaties are we going to sign ourselves up to, and I'm saying, it's time to stop, and halt, and make haste slowly, and consider, what we're doing here, they're not as simple as a nod and a wink, and a, a five-minute debate time here, for each group, er, it's a massive, it's massive implications, and there's good and bad, obviously, in everything, but, I'm saying that we need to, er, make haste slowly, we need to be sure, that we're not signing ourselves up to something that we will regret, and that there'll be issues, and our citizens, above all, have to be protected, while at the same time, trying to protect, er, the laws of the land, and protect our citizens, and protect, and, and deal with the drug crime, and other crimes as well, but, we have to be, wide awake, and, understand what we're signing up for, so, I have concerns. Good remark, good, go on, go on.
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