Results 2,741-2,760 of 2,836 for speaker:Malcolm Byrne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Who would Ms Riordan have lead it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Does anybody else have an abiding point to express?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: When it comes to politicians, I think we are sector multilingual, or we try to be. We have time for a second round of questions. The time allowed is four minutes and I ask people to be as concise as they can be. I call Deputy Geoghegan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Deputy Mythen can make a final point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Professor Smeaton has 30 seconds left.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank Professor Smeaton. I call Deputy O'Rourke.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: There are 70 seconds.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank Senator Ruane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: It falls to me to wrap up. I will make a couple of remarks. I thank the advisory council very sincerely for all the work it does. I share the view that AI is the most transformative technology. Just because the council holds that view does not necessarily mean it is entirely an advocate. I am conscious Mr. Blanchfield referenced Marx. In the same way, I view Marx as being one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Jun 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I thank all of the team, Ms Riordan, Mr. Blanchfield, Dr. Scanlon, Professors Smeaton and Ahern and the AI advisory council for its work generally. I am very conscious of the fact that the witnesses voluntarily give of their time, expertise and interest in this, and it is very informative. We will adjourn this meeting until we have a private meeting on 3 July. Our next public meeting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas lenár bhfinnéithe. I noted, and Mr. Ó Coigligh outlined very clearly, that there has been a very clear commitment on the part of Government, particularly over the last five years, to expansion of and investment in the arts. That is something we should not lose sight of. He mentioned that we have seen an expansion in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Yes, I said ballpark. I am very conscious that Mr. Ó Coigligh only became Secretary General relatively recently. How long have Mr. Kelly, Mr. Falvey and Ms O'Hara been in the arts and culture section of the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: Since February.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: I appreciate that. It is probably fair to say that Mr. Falvey would have been across this over the whole period.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: We talked about the business case the last time. It is fair to say that there has been a lot of criticism of the Arts Council and its IT systems and how it handles the administration side. When was the Department first made aware that the Arts Council said it was going to engage people to try to get this new system put in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: The Department would have known before then that the case was made, so this had been wrapped-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: The Arts Council would have come to the Department and said its system was in trouble and it knew from artists and whoever else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport: Arts Council Grant Management IT System: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2025)

Malcolm Byrne: That was accepted. A system was put in put in place and was operating. I went back through some of the records related to the IT system and I came across an incident in June 2023, which Mr. Falvey might remember, when the Arts Council sent out an email notice in error to 141 artists to say they had been awarded grants.