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

I thank the Senator for her amendment. I recognise the objective behind the amendment but I cannot accept it. Under sections 38 and 40 of the Bill, the office is already required to prepare a strategy statement every three years setting out its key objectives as well as a review of its work, annual report and performance of its functions. Moreover, these sections are well developed and clearly specify who is consulted, the form and the manner in which the Minister may direct and what the statement or report may contain. The Bill also provides that both reports must be laid before Houses of the Oireachtas and published.
In addition, section 43 establishes a co-operation forum specifically to enable co-operation, co-ordination and information exchange among the competent authorities in order that there is consistent implementation of the AI act in the State by the competent authorities. Many of the regulators are long-standing market surveillance authorities, MSAs, in their sector and are accustomed to working together on matters that need consideration and co-operation between the relevant authorities. The AI office unit is working with those regulators to leverage their experience and existing practice to inform an approach in the context of the regulation of AI.
A new, one-off ministerial report on policy coherence, as proposed, alongside the well-developed provisions related to the offices accountability and functions in the Bill, which are already designed to support the coherent enforcement across the competent authorities, would not add any substantial value to what is already provided for in the Bill.
This amendment is also rather vague and lacks legal clarity on the meaning of policy coherence, the Departments it would cover, the criteria the report would assess and the words that would count as compliance. On this occasion, I have to oppose 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