Results 10,641-10,660 of 10,711 for speaker:Niamh Smyth

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: To answer the Deputy's question, I hope we can do both. I hope we can embrace AI in an ethical way that is regulated, that people can use and that does not harm citizens, and that we can also meet our climate targets. I have listened to the Deputy's contributions over the years on data centres and I appreciate where he is coming from. I have equal concerns about our use of energy, but the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank Deputy Keogh for her question. To answer her question bluntly on whether this portfolio is in the right Department, I will obviously say "Yes". I am hugely enthusiastic about the portfolio itself and it has a huge role to play in enterprise, trade and employment. That is not ignoring the fact that it has a role to play in every walk of life and every Government Department. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Going back to the national AI office, it will have oversight across all departments and sectors. While it has been established out of this Department, it will be a stand-alone, independent, national AI office that will have oversight across all Departments. It will come at it from a different angle than the Deputy's suggestion but it may happen too that there will be expertise in AI in all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: We are working towards 2 August 2026. There is a lot of August 20-something in the coming years and I want to be accurate about that. It is August 2026.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: I thank the Deputy for her suggestion. It is a very good idea and if the Deputy would like to share those proposals with me, I am more than happy to do that. This would probably come under the Minister, Deputy O'Brien's, remit of energy and climate regarding a grant which could be there, as the Deputy said, to mitigate against that energy or digital divide. There is merit in her suggestion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Yes. Regarding the Deputy's question on older people, ADAPT, a research-based organisation, is working with our universities to ensure we have a public campaign which is targeted at older people. The target is for 60,000 older people to have the information and to be shrouded with the knowledge base they need for that digital transformation we are undergoing. For schools, the advisory...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is currently being worked on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is a new national AI office, so there will be a recruitment piece done. All of that is still being worked out.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is a stand-alone entity. It has been established out of this Department. It will not be just answerable to this Department. There would be oversight across Government agencies.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The Deputy is right that the council is coming to the end its term of at the end of this year. It has done incredible work up to this point, not just in assisting the Government and our Departments in how we can be AI ready, but also in going out and helping with the public trust piece, doing the engagements and talking to people. It is very broad. I am not sure if the committee had the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Even since it was established, things have changed so much. The council would say that itself. We have great expertise there that we can lean on. It is very happy to help all of our Departments in any way, and we need to utilise that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: The ESRI, the Department of enterprise and the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council hope to have that later this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: May I come back to the Deputy, if that is okay? I will get a fuller answer than I can give today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Anything we can do to assist.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It is my understanding that it would be in the Department of public expenditure and with the Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, who launched the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: We are.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: It would be important for the strategy that we have performance indicators so we know it is being implemented and, a bit like the observatory piece we spoke of earlier, so we can see where trends are going to enable the public sector. The main goal with artificial intelligence is how we can create efficiencies within our public sector. Any performance indicators we can get on that I am sure...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: We are certainly going to do everything we possibly can to achieve this. If you do not mind, Chair, I will take a moment to thank the officials who are here with me today and some who are not able to be here today. There is such a wealth of knowledge and talent within the Department itself.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Absolutely. That is my goal and my intention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Niamh Smyth: Thank you for the opportunity. As you said, I have had the opportunity to see what is happening in Estonia, and everything is digitalised and they are on a different level as to where they are with that. We have a body of work to do and I think we will be able to do it best if we work to take a collaborative approach. I do not think this Department can do it on its own. You talk...