James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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75. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline the steps his Department is taking to improve data collection and database construction in anticipation of the increased data processing capacity that artificial intelligence adoption entails; if he will outline the logic behind their approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18360/25]

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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78. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will specify the specific policy areas where the Department is examining future use of AI; if he will identify what entities the Department is working with, public or private, in relation to this examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18412/25]

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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82. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18488/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 78 and 82 together.

I propose to take Questions Nos 18488/25, 18412/25 and 18360/25 together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is committed to continuously enhancing our effectiveness and efficiency. This is critical as we respond and adapt to a rapidly changing international environment while continuing to serve the interests of Irish citizens. This commitment is reflected in our Statement of Strategy - strengthening our overall effectiveness is one of our six high-level goals and informs the Department’s work in Ireland and across our diplomatic mission network.

As part of that commitment the Department is working to promote and deepen a culture of innovation and transformation to improve the effectiveness of our policies and processes. Notable examples of this include the reform efforts in the passport service (which issued over one million passports in 2024), the development of the new Ireland House model (including new Ireland Houses opened in New York, Singapore and Stockholm in 2024) and the roll-out of the Digital Ireland House project.

While my Department has not to date examined issues around data collection and database construction, we will examine the possibilities and use-cases for AI models and how they may support the work we do. This will complement broader on-going efforts to ensure we have an innovative, agile and resilient workforce that promotes and protects the interests of Irish citizens at home and abroad.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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76. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify any projects which the Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18377/25]

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify any projects which a body under the aegis of his Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; if he will send this question to the bodies for direct response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18395/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has no bodies under its aegis and has no projects underway with CeADAR. The Department is supportive of the Centre’s work and mandate, in particular its focus on helping organisations to adopt and leverage the value of AI and machine learning. The Department recently invited CeADAR to give a presentation for staff to learn more about the work of the Centre and its role in promoting AI throughout the public and private sectors.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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79. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will identify any AI training offered to people working in the Department; the level of take-up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18429/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Officials of my Department are familiarising themselves with AI and its possibilities through a variety of means, including contacts across the civil service, academia and the private sector.

Much of the Learning and Development offering for staff in the Department is centralised through OneLearning, the Civil Service Learning and Development Centre. There is no current offering on OneLearning in relation to AI but the course offering is kept under review.

No courses on AI have been funded by this Department under other Learning and Development schemes.