Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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379. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a meeting can be arranged between this Deputy and the AI Advisory Council; why no mechanism exists for opposition Deputies to engage with the Advisory Council; if he will furnish contact details for the Advisory Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8096/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The AI Advisory Council was established by Minister Dara Calleary in January 2024 to provide independent expert advice to government on artificial intelligence policy. Its members represent a spectrum of experience and expertise from academia, business, law, security, social sciences, economics and civil society.

The Council is a mechanism for providing expert advice and not a general consultative or a representative forum. Its members serve in a voluntary capacity and willingly give up their own free time to assist the Government.

The Department provides Secretariat support to the Council and can relay all correspondence to the Council. The Council has previously engaged with members of the Oireachtas and are intending to do so again in the coming weeks.

The Council is currently making arrangements to host a briefing with interested Oireachtas Members in Leinster House during March. In this regard, department officials will be in contact with Oireachtas Members shortly with details of the briefing session.

The Council has recently submitted a report entitled 'Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Recommendations – Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future' to the Government. Members of the Council recently met with myself and my colleague Minister Peter Burke to discuss the report.