Artificial Intelligence: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-28
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Niamh Smyth (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and those Senators who are here tonight to contribute to this really important debate.
Before I outline my key priorities for Ireland’s approach to artificial intelligence, Al, I want to make some points about the online safety matters that have come so sharply into focus in recent weeks. They have highlighted the importance of having an effective legal framework to deal with issues around images, deepfakes and, of course, consent. I share Senators' serious concerns over reports of harmful and illegal content generated through Grok and on the X platform. This is not just an Irish issue; it affects citizens across the EU. Both the Government and the European Commission have been unequivocal. Using Al to create abusive, offensive or harassing material will not be tolerated. The non-consensual sharing of intimate images is illegal, and generating child sexual abuse material is a crime.
The Digital Services Act, DSA, is a crucial piece of the EU's and Ireland’s online safety framework. On Monday, the European Commission announced a formal investigation into X under the DSA to determine whether it has met its obligations in response to reports of the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, including manipulated intimate images. The investigation will examine whether X has met its legal obligations, particularly around risk mitigation, content governance and the protection of fundamental rights. Coimisiún na Meán has been intensively engaging with the European Commission on this matter in recent weeks and will continue to support the Commission in its investigation. I thank Coimisiún na Meán for meeting with me several times over the past number of weeks to update and inform me of the working being done.
The European Commission’s action reflects the clear legal responsibilities placed on platforms to prevent illegal content and safeguard their users. At home, An Garda Síochána has numerous investigations under way to establish if there have been breaches of the law, including under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 and the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998. As recommended by the Al advisory council, the Government will explore the potential to expand the list of prohibited Al practices under the Al Act. In this regard, I have asked my officials to liaise with the Commission on the potential for the EU Al Act to be amended to provide protections against the generation of images and deepfakes without consent and the generation of content constituting child sexual abuse material through Al systems. I would like to thank Mr. Declan McCormack and all the officials in the Department who have worked at breakneck speed over the past two or three weeks to get on top of this issue.
I will turn to my key priorities and long-term vision for lreland’s approach to Al. lreland has long been recognised as a dynamic, forward-looking digital hub. Maintaining that position requires sustained ambition and timely action. To stay at the forefront of global technological change, we must fully embrace the transformative potential of Al across our economy and society. The recent announcement of the €4.7 billion sectoral capital plan for my Department represents a major step change in that direction. It is the largest investment ever made in our enterprise and innovation ecosystem, signalling a long-term commitment to competitiveness, high-quality jobs and the infrastructure demanded by world-leading industries. Crucially, €1.3 billion of this funding is dedicated specifically to supporting disruptive technologies, research partnerships, technology centres and major European projects. However, innovation must go hand in hand with strong and trusted governance. Citizens and businesses need confidence that Al systems are safe, fair and accountable. Recent events around Grok demonstrate exactly why robust oversight matters.
One of my core ambitions is to cement Ireland's role as a centre of regulatory excellence. We will champion well-designed digital regulation that protects individuals’ safety and fundamental rights, while still enabling innovation to thrive. This balanced approach is essential to Ireland not only leading but developing technologies and setting the standards that govern safe and ethical use.
l am firmly committed to implementing the EU AI Act, a forward-looking framework that balances innovation with proportionate safeguards. We are making strong progress and Ireland has adopted a distributed implementation model so businesses can work with regulators who understand their sectors. The Government recently approved priority drafting of the legislation needed to give full effect to the Act.
The AI office of Ireland will be established in August 2026, supported by €1.5 million in start-up funding. Work is already under way on the general scheme that will create the office as an independent statutory body and lreland’s central authority for Al Act implementation. The office will also promote research and adoption. Even though many small firms will not fall under the high-risk scope of the Act, all businesses should start assessing their Al use. Supports to do that are already in place through CeADAR, Ireland's national centre for applied Al, my Department's website and the EU AI Act service desk compliance checker.
A key function of the new office will be establishing a national AI regulatory sandbox, giving Ireland's businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, SMEs, and start-ups a safe environment to test, learn and innovate while navigating the Act's requirements.
These measures strengthen our national framework for trusted AI. They are also aligned with a wider European effort to ensure regulation is effective and proportionate. The European Commission's digital simplification omnibus package, published in November, is an important development. It includes proposals to simplify rules on data, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, which is a very welcome first step to improving competitiveness at an EU level.
I have been vocal at meetings with ministerial colleagues across the EU that Ireland believes that the digital simplification package should take a dynamic, ambitious and risk-based approach, focusing on removing regulatory overlaps, reducing administrative burdens and supporting compliance. However, I want to be clear that simplification does not mean deregulation. The proposed simplification measures have been arrived at through significant stakeholder consultation by the Commission. They maintain the same high standards for safety and fundamental rights, while ensuring more effective implementation of the Al Act.
Equally important to our future success is to fast-track widespread adoption of digital and AI technologies across our enterprise sector. I have seen first-hand the impact that Al can have on boosting productivity and enhancing competitiveness in firms of all sizes. To empower more businesses, particularly SMEs, to adopt AI, I am working with local enterprise offices, European digital hubs, and enterprise agencies to ensure that every SME is aware of the benefits and the State supports available to them. We hosted our first information event in Cavan last week and look forward to replicating this across the country in the months ahead.
Building on this momentum, a further €23 million in additional funding was recently announced for Ireland's four European digital innovation hubs to support SMEs in their uptake of AI and other cutting-edge digital technologies. These hubs, in Cork, Dublin, Mullingar and Sligo, are delivering real, practical supports that help SMEs to understand, test and adopt advanced digital technologies with confidence.
The Government will soon publish an updated national digital and Al strategy, setting out a clear roadmap for Ireland's digital and Al adoption in the years ahead. It will take a whole-of-government approach, supporting Al uptake across all sectors and addressing the key enablers of a strong digital economy, from skills to infrastructure to modern public services. As Ireland approaches the EU Presidency, we have a huge opportunity to help to shape Europe's digital and Al agenda. On 14 October, we will host an Al and digital summit in Dublin, bringing together more than 1,000 participants, including leaders from industry, government and research. As Minister of State with responsibility for Al and digital transformation, I am incredibly excited about this opportunity. I look forward to showcasing Ireland's leadership, strengthening collaboration across member states, and supporting ethical, sustainable and inclusive technology development.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:33+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-28