DNA Database
The Minster for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., has recently published the new Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Bill 2010. This will see the establishment, for the first time, of a national DNA database in Ireland. The national DNA database will by run by the Forensic Science Laboratory (to be renamed EFÉ or Eolaíocht Fhoiréinseach Éireann/ Forensic Science Ireland).
Read full publication:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Minister%20Ahern%20Publishes%20new%20DNA%20Database%20Bill
Dr. Maureen Smyth, Director of DNA at the FSL, was recently a guest on The Late Debate with Rachel English on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss the issues arising from the establishment of the national DNA database.
Listen to the interview here: (starts 30mins into recording)
http://www.rte.ie/podcasts/2010/pc/pod-v-200110-56m38s-latedebate.mp3
Oxegen Festival 2009
The Oxegen music festival took place in Punchestown, Co. Kildare from the 10th to the 12th July 2009. Prior to the festival taking place, Dr. Áine Whelan, FSL, had trained Garda personnel from the Garda National Drugs Unit and from the Kildare division on the use of presumptive tests for identification of cannabis and cocaine.
Dr. Áine Whelan and Mary O’Connor, both of the FSL, attended Oxegen to provide advice and assistance to the Gardai carrying out the testing and to set up the testing room.
Drug testing was carried out over all 3 days of the festival. Up to 6 garda personnel carried out testing at one time. In total, 102 samples were subject to presumptive testing. Of these samples, 75% were suspected to be cannabis and the remainder was suspected to be cocaine.
The local judge, Judge Zaiden, and local solicitors attended the festival to observe the testing taking place.
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| Positive result with NIK presumptive test for cannabis |
Young Scientist Exhibition
In 2008, for the first time, the FSL sponsored a prize in the Young Scientist Exhibition. The prize was open to entries in all categories and the criteria for selection were that the projects could have a practical application in the solving of crime.
The FSL was pleased to be associated with such a competition as the only forensic laboratory in the country. The core business of the laboratory is science, therefore it is important that we encourage the development of science at every level.
DNA Transfer Experiment
The FSL used the exhibition as an opportunity to conduct an experiment on DNA transfer as a large volume of willing participants were available.
The purpose of this experiment was to measure the transfer of epithelial (skin) cells from the hand onto different surfaces by using minitape lifting.
Minitape lifting is a process whereby adhesive strips remove epithelial cells (skin cells) that may be present on surfaces of items by contact between the adhesive and surface.
105 pieces of fabric, 105 pieces of wood and 105 small glass bottles were each sealed in individual paper bags and then autoclaved and irradiated, to remove any background DNA.
Volunteers were asked to open the sealed bag remove the item and grasp it firmly in the palm of their hand for one minute. After the minute the item was placed back in the bag and resealed. This was repeated by 50 males and 50 females for each item type.
The Forensic Science Laboratory wishes to thank all those who participated in the survey.