Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Aubrey McCarthy (IND), University of Dublin

I wish to speak in support of amendment No. 6, which seeks to expand the statutory functions of the State's AI office, so that it becomes, not only a regulator but also a genuine centre of excellence for guidance, practical support and training. If we want the AI regulation to succeed, then businesses must understand what is expected of them. Regulation works best when compliance is enabled. At the moment, even on the enterprise committee, I think compliance is feared - certainly among SMEs. As drafted, the Bill contains extensive provisions on investigations, sanctions and enforcement. Of course these are necessary, but what is missing here is the equivalent emphasis on helping businesses, particularly SMEs, as I have mentioned. It is a new territory and they could be helped to navigate this complex regulatory landscape. Most Irish organisations that are going to be affected by the AI Act will not be large multinational technology companies that have a lot of staff and armies of lawyers and engineers. They will be small and medium-sized enterprises, often with limited in-house expertise. They will need clear guidance, a practical code of practice, training and technical assistance if they are to comply with the new legislation and do that confidently. My amendment rebalances the Bill by placing compliance support alongside enforcement. It does not weaken the standard; it strengthens it. Prevention is always more effective and far less costly than enforcement after the fact. By empowering the AI office to develop and disseminate guidance to facilitate training programmes and provide technical assistance, we will ensure businesses will receive help before any problems arise. Crucially, the amendment also enhances legal certainty. Many organisations are eager to adopt AI, but many remain unsure how the Act will apply to them in practice. We need clear guidance to reduce that uncertainty and encourage responsible investment and innovation. When businesses know the rules they are more likely to follow them. The amendment also strengthens the feedback loop between businesses, regulators and government. The AI office will be uniquely placed to advise the Minister on emerging implementation challenges, and that will ensure the policy will evolve in line with real-world experience. That is how good regulation works; not in isolation but in partnerships with all of us who must comply. Ultimately, success should not be measured by the number of investigations conducted or number of sanctions imposed. Success needs to be measured by how many businesses understand the rules and comply with them, and confidently adopt trustworthy AI. Amendment No. 6, which I have tabled, helps to achieve that goal. It ensures Ireland is not only a leader in regulating AI but a leader in enabling its responsible and innovative use.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:11+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09