Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I advise members that we are now in public session. Our guests are now live on Oireachtas TV. Senators Noel O'Donovan and Lynn Ruane have sent their apologies. Senator Alice-Mary Higgins will substitute for Senator Ruane.

There are a few constitutional requirements and I need to go through the rules of engagement. I advise members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where they are not adhering to this constitutional requirement. Therefore, a member who attempts to participate from outside the precincts will be asked to leave the meeting. In that regard, I ask any member partaking via MS Teams that prior to making their contribution to the meeting, they confirm that they are on the grounds of the Leinster House complex. Some colleagues are joining us on the screens, so when it comes to their questioning, they will pop up on the screens.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence has been asked to look at how artificial intelligence is impacting on all aspects of Irish society and to advise Government policy through a rolling set of recommendations on what we think the Government and the State should be doing to prepare us for the opportunities and challenges that AI presents. As a committee we felt it was particularly important that, before we start to move into the modules we will be dealing with around AI and the State, AI and healthcare and AI in education, we would hear specifically from three groups. The next two sessions will be on AI and older people and AI and disability. The committee was very keen, right at the very start, to discuss AI and children and young people and to hear in particular the views of children and young people and their representative organisations. We had a great response to this and we are very appreciative of all the witnesses who have come in. We have had to divide the meeting into two sessions. I thank all the witnesses very much for coming in. Because there is such an interest, we ask everyone to try to be succinct in their questions and answers. That applies as much to members of the committee as to the witnesses, who I am sure will be very direct in telling us what they think we should be doing to be able to address the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence.

I extend a very big welcome to the witnesses. I now ask the representatives of each of the organisations to deliver their brief opening statement.

They have about three minutes to do so. With us today we have Ms Grace French and Mr. Fionn McWeeney, who are youth advisory panel, YAP, participants from the Ombudsman for Children's Office; Mr. Reuban Murray, youth worker and AI project officer, National Youth Council of Ireland, NYCI; Ms Noeline Blackwell, online safety co-ordinator, Children's Rights Alliance; and Ms Áine Lynch, CEO, National Parents Council. I invite Grace and Fionn to make their opening statement.