Results 401-420 of 1,024,383 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Michael Moynihan)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Education (23 May 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: How many nursing and medicine places for Irish and EU students are currently in the system? To broaden that out, I ask the Minister a simple question - does he agree with the statement, "We do not train half enough health and social care professionals"?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I will answer the question regarding nursing and medicine first. Ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified professionals in nursing and medicine is a key priority for me and my Department. I want to build on the progress made in the past few years in expanding the number of places in these disciplines. In 2020 and 2021, in response to particular circumstances relating to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Nursing Education (23 May 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The Minister provided figures but does he agree with the statement, "We do not train half enough health and social care professionals"? That is what the Minister for Health has been saying for the past couple of years. He lays the blame squarely at the feet of Fine Gael for not providing him with the workforce he needs. That is the issue - things are bounced between Fianna Fáil and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: It is important to point out as well that there was a devolved grant scheme, which was administered by SOLAS but came from the Department, of just over €8 million from which the Cavan and Monaghan ETB benefited to the tune of under €500,000. It is small money in the overall context, but it is certainly an awful lot of money when you are looking for it. It is a lot of money in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Artificial Intelligence

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: 8. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has assessed the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the content of the jobs of those currently in the workforce, and the reskilling that may be necessary to ensure the capacity of workers to adapt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23310/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: As the Minister well knows, artificial intelligence will rapidly disrupt established ways of doing things as it integrates into our world. It will disrupt education and its delivery, but it will also disrupt many workplaces and create skill needs. To what extent is this now anticipated? What planning and strategies are being put in place?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: Ireland's national AI strategy, AI - Here for Good, launched in 2021, outlines how Ireland can be an international leader in the use of artificial intelligence to benefit the economy and society. The strategy is founded on three core principles, namely, adopting a human-centric approach to the application of AI, staying open and adaptable to new innovations and ensuring good governance to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I appreciate that there is a strategy in place but that strategy is four years old and, with the pace of this, changes occur within months. The enterprise committee, of which Deputy Stanton is also a member, heard this week that only 5% of companies are engaged in any sort of reskilling for the onset of artificial intelligence. We need an accelerated programme in areas such as Skillnet...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I do not disagree with the Deputy, particularly in the context of the European Union's European Year of Skills and the volume of skills that either cannot be met or are under threat. AI has the best of both worlds. It is something to be embraced but it is also something to which we will have to adapt in our education system, particularly in further and higher education. I do not disagree...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: To give the Minister an example, we had the major consultancy firms in before the committee. They have every staff member now going through a process of understanding and equipping themselves to deal with the disruption, and opportunity, indeed, of artificial intelligence. Will the Minister of State consider putting some of his senior staff through a programme such as that in order to build...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Before the Minister comes in, there are a number of supplementary questions.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

David Stanton: I strongly support Deputy Bruton in what he is saying. This has been called the fourth industrial revolution. I was at the committee meeting to which the Deputy refers. The amount of funding the companies are putting in here is staggering. Billions upon billions of euro and dollars are being spent by the large multinational companies in this area. It is going to change everything and it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Bernard Durkan: The importance of this question goes without saying. In particular, we must consider the rapidity with which artificial intelligence is likely to affect the workforce in production activities all over the globe. Competitors around the world are availing and will avail very quickly of the opportunities on offer. At this stage, what is most important is to have a strategy that kicks in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: I thank Deputies Stanton and Durkan for their inventions. Going back to what Deputy Bruton said regarding what happened at the committee with the consultancy firms, I will certain review it and have a look at it. However, "Yes" is the answer. Deputy Stanton referred to this being a fourth industrial revolution. The last time, we had the introduction of robotics and all of a sudden people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Deputy Bruton had his two supplementaries but he can make a comment if he likes because we are not under pressure.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I will make one comment. To paraphrase the OECD, the leaving certificate is preparing young people to be second-class robots. Now that we have this new pace of change crashing upon us, we really have to take it very seriously.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Catherine Connolly: The Minister is not getting the last word as we are moving on.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Patrick O'Donovan: That is fine.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (23 May 2024)

Questions Nos. 9 to 12, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.