Artificial Intelligence
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Naoise Ó Cearúil (FF), Kildare North

The roadmap for technology skills of the future, the statement of ambition on digital and AI skills, AI micro credentials and the online platform AI Ready, which was only launched two weeks ago, are all great, particularly in the context of skills. This is not a skill issue, however; this is a worker's issue. It is about stopping people losing their jobs or retaining the jobs they currently hold. Reskilling and retraining are needed within places of employment when a notification is given that there will be a reduction in the workforce. This is primarily to protect workers. There is no doubt about the fact that we are on the crest of a huge change regarding employment and workers' rights in this country. We have to do all that is possible in that regard. Retraining and reskilling will be a huge part of that, but there are many skills that cannot be trained, particularly as people have been working in roles that now no longer exist.
It is not just about the Department of further and higher education; this is primarily an issue for the Departments of enterprise and Social Protection. What I have laid out in the programme details how this can happen in the long term, but also, importantly, the programme sets out the terms for a pilot scheme for financial and customer services within the next three years involving 1,000 workers. That scheme would show that it can work, and it has been costed. Again, this is about protecting people. If it is a success in those sectors, which international examples have shown are the most vulnerable, then it should be expanded to the entire workforce.
I reiterate that this is about protecting workers. People are losing their jobs. Families across the country and in Kildare are worried. I am trying to be as proactive and future focused as possible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-27