An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Eileen Lynch (FG), Agricultural Panel

I would also like to be associated with the expressions of congratulation to my colleague, Senator Ahearn, on his appointment as the Leader of the House. He has been a fantastic Acting Leader over the past few weeks. In case there was any doubt, he has really proven himself. I am looking forward to the remainder of his term as the Leader. I acknowledge Senator Ahearn’s family members who are here with him today. It is also an incredibly proud day for them. They are proud of him all the time in light of his political achievements and those of his late mum, but it is particularly the case today. It is such a special day for Senator Ahearn and all his family. I really hope they all enjoy it.
I want to speak about the findings of the European Commission’s latest state of the digital decade report. It was published last week. In particular, I mention its assessment of the digital transition of Irish small and medium enterprises, SMEs. While Ireland continues to perform strongly in many areas of digital skills and online commerce, the report does highlight some concerns. This is mainly about the growing gap between digitally advanced firms and those falling behind. This could impact Ireland’s long-term competitiveness.
SMEs are the backbone of our economy. They employ thousands of people across towns and villages in County Cork and the rest of Ireland. They are central to job creation, innovation and, of course, regional development. The report also points out that while the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence, AI, cloud computing and data analytics is increasing, many SMEs continue to face barriers in accessing and implementing these technologies. Only 20% of Irish businesses are using AI on a productive level. We need to ensure that the digital transfer of information is not something just associated with multinationals and large companies, and that family businesses, retailers, farms and tourism enterprises are all able to embrace new technologies and improve productivity. I am seeking a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on how Ireland intends to respond to the report's recommendation to accelerate digital growth, how best we can work with our SMEs to achieve this goal and ensure that all existing supports are accessible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23