The current and previous Governments rightly committed to investment in the arts, including significant increases in funding to the Arts Council and expanding the basic income for the arts scheme. Indeed, the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, is to proceed with the arts capital programme later this year. I want to raise the question of funding for amateur theatre and musical movements around the country. After the GAA, there are more people involved in amateur theatre and musicals than in any other voluntary activity. In…

That is a compliment.

I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence entitled "First Interim Report", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 12th December, 2025. Tá áthas an domhan orm an chéad tuarascáil ón gComhchoiste Um Intleacht Shaorga a mholadh. Tá an teicneolaíocht iontach seo ag athrú ár sochaí agus is ceart go bhfuil an tír seo ag glacadh ról ceannaireachta sa díospóireacht domhanda seo. It is a great privilege to be able to introduce the first interim report…

This has been a very informative debate. It reflects the nature of how our committee has worked. If we think about our role as legislators, our responsibility is towards the safety of our citizens and those who live here. It is about equipping people to be able to deal with the challenges that we face in our lives and in our workplaces. It is about supporting innovation and creating an environment where jobs and wealth can be created. It is about ensuring that we deliver public services in as effective and efficien…

This is an important debate in that it focuses attention on those within our school system who need additional support. We need to acknowledge the very significant progress that has been made in the increase in the number of SNAs from 16,000 in 2020 to where it will be over 25,000 this year. I also want to talk about the 16 new special schools that have been created since 2020, which are incredibly important, including one in Gorey, County Wexford. I know both the Minister and the Minister of State have visited it.…

I welcome the publication last week of the Government's AI and digitalisation strategy, which balances supporting innovation with maintaining trust and having the necessary guardrails in place. The executive chair of Coimisiún na Meán was before the Oireachtas AI committee today and he said that tougher laws are needed on AI-generated sexual imagery and further laws are needed on the misuse of intimate and other imagery of real people without their consent. I would ask that this would be a priority as part of our E…

I welcome the publication of the Government's AI and digitalisation strategy but the issue relates to harmful products coming onto the market, as Deputy Joanna Byrne outlined. I appreciate we are going to be placing a lot more responsibility on the regulator but some of this has to be about putting responsibility back on the platform before the product or service is released onto the market. We are going to invest in our regulators to be able to deal with this, but the Minister will appreciate that if a new financi…

I strongly the support the question raised by my colleague. It is critical that we enhance opportunities for those with a disability. I particularly encourage a further examination of the wage subsidy scheme. The Government made a significant increase in the context of budget 2026. Although it does not come into effect until the beginning of April, it could be considered in the budgetary process for 2027. For instance, a company like Murphy Furniture based in Tinahely, which has a number of stores operating right t…

Will the Minister establish an AI observatory to run in parallel with the national AI office to look at real-time figures with regard to jobs displacement and the skills needed for Ireland to avail of the opportunities AI presents?

I thank the Minister for the priority he has been giving to this proposal. As he says, the advisory council has strongly recommended it, as have those of us on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Change is happening at pace and things are happening quickly. We saw the recommendations within the Government's strategy on AI and digitalisation, which was published yesterday, but we also had a report from the Department of Finance yesterday that identified that Ireland is potentially most at risk…

I am hugely supportive of all of that. It is very welcome. It is unfortunate the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, cannot be here today but I welcome the fact that she is at the global AI summit in New Delhi. It is critically important that Ireland takes a leadership role in this space. There is already anecdotal evidence that we are seeing significant changes in the jobs market so I welcome the fact that we are looking to be ahead of this. It is critical that there is an understanding within the Minister's Departme…

I thank the Minister. This question is based on a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. I am encouraged by the approach Government has taken, particularly the publication yesterday of the AI and digitalisation strategy. The Minister correctly stated in response to the previous question that this is related to our investment in digital infrastructure plus our investment in the energy grid, particularly in renewables. Our approach has to be precisely, as he said. It is about getting the …

I very much welcome the Minister's approach on this. It is critical we bring the public with us and, as he said, that it be cross-government. Will he consider public information campaigns to make people aware of the possibilities and challenges? He and I will probably remember the famous ads, "I don't know what a tracker mortgage is", so that people could understand financial products. We need to look in a similar way at artificial intelligence and have people sitting on the back of a bus saying, "I don't know what…

I commend the fact that the Minister has significantly increased the sums available when it comes to the humanitarian relief under storms. He did reference Storm Claudia, particularly with regard to the impact that had on County Wexford and the humanitarian relief which was open to businesses and sports clubs under that scheme. Unfortunately, one of the clubs that was impacted in a big way was Woodenbridge Golf Club but the problem is that because it is over the border in County Wicklow, it was not deemed eligible …

I thank the Minister of State for being here for this debate. In fairness to him, he is not afraid to roll up his sleeves. He is passionate about trying to address this issue that has impacted so many communities. I too pay tribute to local authority staff and emergency services which have had to deal with these adverse weather events we face with increased regularity. I asked this question of representatives of the Department and Met Éireann when they were before the Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy an…

The commitments to invest in onshore solar and wind, but particularly in offshore renewables, is critical to meet our climate objectives but also for reasons of energy security. The Taoiseach might outline further the work of the offshore wind energy clearing house. There are concerns we will not meet our offshore renewable targets originally set for 2030 but if we can meet them for 2031 or 2032, that will be welcome. Equally, if there is further progress on the private wires Bill, when we can see a direct connecti…

I would like to focus on two key themes in the NESC report: energy resilience and energy sharing. In light of the particularly adverse weather, it is important that for events we have experienced and will increasingly experience, we guarantee generators to communities so communities can respond, which is clearly identified in the report. On energy sharing, within the electricity markets directive, there is a clear emphasis on trying to support communities in self-generating and sharing their own electricity and for…

Microgeneration.

The issue of generational renewal is critical in the context of the forthcoming CAP negotiations. I know it has been raised in the discussions with Commissioner Hansen. The Taoiseach will be aware that almost 40% of farmers are now aged 65 and over, whereas fewer than 5% are under the age of 35. He will know that Macra na Feirme has been seeking, as an essential part of the next CAP, fully funded succession schemes. I know in my own case that both Wicklow Macra and Wexford Macra are very active on these issues. It …

Given the rate of osteoporosis in Ireland and the problem with regard to fragility fractures, I would be grateful for an update on the commitments in the programme for Government to consider tax measures to encourage gym membership to allow for strength and resistance training.