Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I think the Deputy knows my work rate and work pace. I certainly intend to be a driving force to ensure this happens. As he has said, three big things have to happen as quickly as possible in the lifetime of this Government. The first is the establishment of the AI office. The second is the establishment of the AI observatory, which is critically important to predict the impacts AI will have, including where jobs will be created and where they will be displaced, so that we can be resilient rather than just reacting. On the third piece, I am happy to confirm to the Deputy that we will be holding an AI summit in October 2026 as part of the European Presidency. I look forward to the Deputy and his committee collaborating with me on that. We can work collaboratively on that.

The EU AI Act is a pivotal regulation that is horizontal in nature, that is risk-based and provides the necessary guardrails for transparency and the ethical adoption of AI to protect our citizens. The AI Act also supports AI innovation and will have a positive impact on our economy and our society at large. That is a critical message I would like to deliver today. This should not be seen as a negative. The many start-ups I have met so far are all very keen to see the regulation in place. They do not see it as a negative. They see it as a positive. We are seen as a country of excellence when it comes to regulation.

AI will be no different because it gives people a pathway. They know what they can and cannot do. They know what the expectations are. We will drive that as a place for innovation and not stifle creativity in any way.

The Government is committed to ensuring that Ireland is a leader in the digital and AI economy and recognises that harnessing the potential of AI and digital technologies more broadly is vital to maintaining our competitiveness, driving productivity and ensuring that Ireland maintains its position as the location of choice for doing business. When I say that, I mean globally. I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions and look forward to working with him on the three big ticket items.

See this speech in context