Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Niamh Smyth (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

Amendment No. 42 would replace the existing annual reporting framework contained in the Bill and would remove the Minister from the process by which annual reports are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill adopts a standard governance model used across many statutory bodies, whereby annual reports are submitted to the responsible Minister, who then causes them to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This reflects the Minister's accountability to the Oireachtas for the legislative framework and governance arrangements applying to the office.
The existing provisions already ensure the activities of the office will be reported publicly and will be made available to both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister's role in this process is administrative and accountability based. It does not give the Minister any role in drafting, approving or altering the content of the annual report. The annual report remains a report of the office and is an important mechanism through which the office demonstrates transparency and accountability in the performance of its statutory functions.
The Bill already contains comprehensive requirements regarding reporting, publication and accountability, and I am satisfied these provisions provide an appropriate balance between operational independence and democratic oversight. Retaining a consistent reporting framework throughout the Bill also provides clarity and coherence in the governance arrangements applying to the office. Accordingly, I do not accept the amendment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:16+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15