Ms Camille Loftus:

That partly goes back to design. The comment I made to Deputy Gibney in that regard is that these have to be requirements, not options. How we dropped the ball on digitalisation was saying that this would be a nice thing to have and it would be better if things were done this way. What we have seen with the way that has been implemented is that it has not happened. As I understand it in relation to the development of technology, Ireland is unlikely to be a leader but it certainly can be a leader in relation to regulation. Older people provide a good opportunity in that regard, because our population is still younger than that of most of our European neighbours. However, all rich countries are moving in the same way; the same factors are influencing us all. We are having smaller families and we are all, happily, living longer. I look to AI and think that may help to keep me at home in old age and avoid the dreaded nursing home. It requires legislation like that to build those safeguards in. There is a good deal of talk about the regulatory sandbox where we can test things out and try things out. Ireland could use this opportunity as a way of demonstrating that this is how regulation of AI can in fact be human first. It can in fact be person first. We could have a situation whereby people are not running around after the tech companies and accepting what we are given. However, we need to demonstrate, by engaging with people, by making that regulation and by showing how the involvement of those populations in the co-design process in fact enhances the product, rather than being a tedious box that needs to be ticked. I do not believe it will happen unless we require it. It will not happen unless we demonstrate what the benefits of that approach are.