Cabinet Committees
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-13
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Ruth Coppinger (PBP), Dublin West

Since we began this debate 67,700 images of a sexual nature of children have been created by AI. I have spoken many times in this Dáil on the issue of abuse and how these social media companies are child groomers and endanger women and children by encouraging misogyny. However, we now have an app that actively allows people to participate in child abuse. What is the Taoiseach going to do about it? His Minister, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, said it is up to the individual users - it is not the fault of Grok at all. It is an absolutely unbelievable statement. That was an excellent question from one of the Government’s backbenchers: is the Government officially going to continue supporting X? I have decided I am not going to participate any longer in this abuse. It is bad enough encouraging fascism, racism and misogyny but now let us send a message to Musk. It does not seem like the Taoiseach is going to do anything about it in the face of - and I will finish of this - his love of AI and multinational corporations. It should not make him silent about child abuse.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-13/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:30+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-13