Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We have had quite a while now without a major election in this country, the last one being in February 2020, but 2024 will be a year of elections, between local, European and directly elected mayoral, as well as a referendum and Lord knows what else. Four years might seem a short timeframe, but there have been profound shifts in that time in how we do politics and elections, particularly enabled by digital technologies. I am thinking of generative AI in particular. Both Sadiq Khan in London and the leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, Michal Šimečka, have fallen foul of deep fakes aimed at denting their political chances directly before elections, and we would be very foolish to think ourselves immune here.

The Electoral Reform Act 2022 has two provisions. Part 4 deals with the regulation of online political advertising and Part 5 with the regulation of electoral process information, online electoral information and manipulative or inauthentic behaviour. Have those Parts been commenced in full? If not, what is the hold-up? It is important we get them commenced.

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