I have listened to the Government state consistently it is at the forefront. I am speaking about a specific example covered at the latest EU Council meeting: the suspension of visa-free travel. My party has identified this potentially as a way to find a lever the Government can pull that will have results. Is the Minister of State doing anything specific on this measure?

I asked earlier about the digital omnibus. I am curious to understand Ireland's position on this. Specifically, what is our stance on the digital omnibus and how will we be able to protect citizens against big tech if we are allowing GDPR and the AI Act to be gutted?

Do I not get to respond?

Finally, the last topic I wish to raise is around the use of Irish taxpayers' money to fund arms manufacturers. Is the Government raising any issues or resistance to Irish taxpayers’ money being used to fund arms manufacture as part of the competitiveness fund? In the context of both this question and the last one, it is not what the Minister of State is saying that I am questioning because I hear what he is saying and all the narrative and rhetoric. Rather, I question what is actually going into law. That is my is…

None of us denies that.

I welcome the opportunity for statements on this topic though I pushed for this to be questions and answers rather than statements given the sprawling nature of the issues that surround CHI. I want to cover three key points: the human impact on these families, the constant crisis, which is unnecessary, and the fact we seem to want to hide from our failures instead of addressing them as a State. It is important to spend some time reflecting on the human impact and the realities of the long and painful wait for spina…

The Department recently published the action plan on collective bargaining. The implementation of this plan is an important and welcome step towards better collective bargaining coverage, but there is no commitment to change the voluntary system of industrial relations. That system gives employers a veto on engagement with their workers collectively. Why is this the case?

My goodness, I am so sorry. This is not what I have prepared for. Can I swap the order? I do not have it in front of me. I will have to skip the question.

Would it be okay to take two minutes to prepare?

Is that okay with the Minister? Many thanks. My apologies.

Perfect.

I thank Members for facilitating me. Will the Minister outline the means by which the transition of the new AI office to a fully independent statutory body will be managed? Will he provide some details in that regard, please?

It is helpful to hear how much effort is going into the establishment of this office. I held two leadership roles in a State agency that is arguably the most independent. The national human rights institution in any jurisdiction is informed by the Paris Principles. We have to understand how that independence is going to be guaranteed in this instance. If the body originates from within the Department of enterprise, then I have concerns that conflicts exist which may create fundamental issues on the foundation of th…

I am glad the Minister raised public trust because I feel there is this kind of pushback against regulation in terms of losing our competitiveness, missing opportunities and America and China racing ahead with their AI development. The issue I have is that their development will lead to products built in a regulatory environment that will not have public trust. We must look at that regulatory space and make sure that even the requirements Europe is putting forward to us meet the standards we want here. We have hear…

Two incredibly disturbing cases this week have further highlighted the dangers that children face on social media. Alexander McCartney spent years grooming children, mainly on Snapchat, before abusing them. He was jailed in the North last year but a review of the case found he was free to continue to use the Internet and abuse children online while on bail. One of those children, twelve-year-old Cimarron Thomas, died by suicide during that period. In a separate case, a man was jailed in Dublin yesterday for the rap…

That is not a panacea, though.

I thank Deputy Farrelly for all of the hard work he has done. I also thank all the Deputies who have spoken, particularly those on whose work we build. As we have heard, this is not our first time at this rodeo. This issue has been discussed many times here and on the floor of the Seanad. That is why I hope the Government can understand our frustration and disappointment with the timed amendment. It is just kicking the can down the road. If this research and these conversations need to happen, surely they should ha…

I endorse the proposal from Sinn Féin. I wish to raise the issue of the occupied territories Bill because it was a key commitment in the election of both Government parties a year ago now, yet all we have seen since then is prevarication, delay and a weakening of the proposed alternative. Just six weeks ago, the Tánaiste said in this Chamber that it would be back in the Dáil to be passed before the end of November. My question is simple: where is it?

We have been talking about the replacement of our Navy ships and upgrading our fleet for some years. Throughout it all our focus has been on multi-role vessels, MRVs, as they are the best equipped to do what our Navy does best in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Are we now pivoting to multi-role combat vessels, MRCVs, as has been reported, which marks a shift away towards a more aggressive naval policy?

I am comforted to hear that we are not going to invest as a State in multi-role combat vessels because my key concern is that we have a long-established priority to acquire multi-role vessels, which give us a flexible fleet that is capable of surveillance and humanitarian functions. They are vital for maritime disaster relief, our capacity for peacekeeping and our ability as an island nation with a volunteer Coast Guard to respond to the needs of people in case of emergency. In delicate peacekeeping and humanitaria…