Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Niamh Smyth (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

I thank the Senator. I chaired a committee in the previous Oireachtas. It is very clear. It is not a new precedent. It has always been the case. Ministers like myself and many others come in and answer to the Oireachtas and to the Senator and everybody else at the committee in relation to Government policy. Members can tear us apart if that is what is required, but that is the Minister's job to come in. It is incredibly important that we do not blur lines. We are not creating a new precedent. That has always been the case. I do take exception to the use of the word “gagged”. There is no attempt in this legislation to gag a CEO of a new AI office.

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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