Malcolm Byrne
Wicklow-Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I appreciate the Minister of State is responding on behalf of the Minister but the response provides nothing new. It is almost a carbon copy of the response I received when I raised this issue in January last.”
“Free and fair trade right throughout history is the greatest example of providing people with employment opportunities and lifting people out of poverty. One of the best examples of this is our being able to trade with Canada.”
“I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will remember being approached by the then principal, staff and others. Pressure has been applied. When capital decisions were being made by the Department of education I asked why this school was not included and what criteria were used.”
“To say that the school, and indeed, the wider area are deeply frustrated by the lack of progress is an understatement. This is an excellent school, but when it comes to its physical infrastructure, the school is in dire straits.”
“As we are moving towards the recess, I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and indeed, the officials in her office and all of the staff across the House for all of their work during the year that has made this place run so smoothly. I wish to raise the question of Bunclody Community College. I have had to do it on a number of occasions.”
“I am conscious the Minister of State referred to additional capital investment in 2027. I fully expect and will continue to campaign to ensure this school is included in the 2027 capital list because it deserved to be addressed before now.”
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“I thank the Minister of State for being here. He is well aware of the problems that have existed for a number of years. Somebody could work in a childcare facility and, at the same time, could be training juvenile athletes as well as being involved in a stage school involving young people. For each of those roles, that person would require Garda vetting. In terms of bus drivers and certain types of employment, it is in a sense almost more bizarre. At the moment, contracted drivers of school buses under the Bus Éireann scheme have to be vetted, and rightly so. For a private bus where a person is driving the same group of young people, however, there is not a requirement for Garda vetting.”
“Given some of the challenges we see for climate, it is important that Ireland says to those who may wish to exploit it that this is not acceptable, and that in this we join with many other countries, and I have mentioned the 58 which are already signatories, including many of our EU partners. I feel very invested in this. For so many people who have been inspired by the great stories of polar expedition, it is very important. In many of our universities there are many researchers who would relish the opportunity to partner on some of these projects. Therefore, I encourage the Government to adopt the Bill as quickly as possible.”
“This is a relatively simple Bill and I would hope it could be moved reasonably quickly through these Houses. It designates the Minister for foreign affairs as the Minister who would be responsible, that we would sign up to the Antarctic treaty system, and that we would nominate representatives to consultative meetings and to meetings on environmental protection that come up. As part of our programme on making people much more aware of climate change and what is going on in our polar caps, it would be critical. The legislation very much acknowledges the specially protected areas in the Antarctic.”
“I have a particular interest in this, and I am probably unusual in that I have visited Antarctica. I have also been inside the Arctic Circle. I have a particular fascination with the polar caps. Antarctica is the most beautiful place you could ever visit and I would certainly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to do so to see it. It shapes your view of the world in a very different way. We should be providing similar opportunities to so many of our researchers. The Bill would also allow us, from Ireland's perspective, to say very clearly in a formal sense that we believe the southern continent should only be used for peaceful purposes and should never be exploited, particularly when it comes to the risk of it being exploited for fossil fuels.”
“People in the House and around the country are very familiar with the stories of Tom Crean and Ernest Shackleton, incredible individuals from the era of exploration, and their stories continue to inspire. The Bill should not just be because of history and Ireland's long historic association. It should also be about enabling a new generation of researchers to engage with those from other countries on the critical issues of research that shape this planet. Obviously, a lot of research is being done in stations in the Antarctic, particularly around areas of climate, astronomy and marine biology. What happens to our polar caps in the Arctic and the Antarctic has a crucial impact on what happens, particularly to our oceans and our climate, and that impacts here.”
“It also provides a framework whereby research can be carried out in that area. It has been in operation since 1959, with 12 signatories originally. As I said, 46 others have joined since. We are currently the most populous member state of the European Union that is not in membership, while similar-sized countries in the EU, such as Finland, Slovakia and Denmark, are in membership. Ireland has had a long and rich history and association with the Antarctic and Antarctic exploration. Indeed, Edward Bransfield from Midleton was the individual who had the first verified sighting of Antarctic recorded in 1820. During the 19th century Francis Crozier from Banbridge carried out much of the mapping of Antarctica.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to enable the state to accede to the Antarctic Treaty done at Washington on 1 December 1959 and to certain related instruments, including the protocol on environmental protection to the Antarctic Treaty done at Madrid on 4 October 1991; and to provide for related matters. The Antarctic Treaty (Accession and Implementation) Bill proposes that Ireland become the 59th country to accede to the Antarctic Treaty System. As a country, we have always been deeply committed to multilateralism. We believe strongly in joining international peaceful organisations and working with other nations to achieve common cause for this planet. The Antarctic Treaty System recognises that the Antarctic, the southern continent, should only ever be used for peaceful purposes.”
“For smaller countries and middle-ranking powers, it is important that we co-operate and work together. Our principled approach on this, whether it is dealing with Tehran, Washington, Moscow or Beijing, must be that we will always stand up for those things that have always been integral to this State, namely, human rights, the rule of law and the protection of democracy.”
“Real people are being impacted, however, by the decisions happening and by what is going on in the Middle East. In our debates on this, we cannot allow an anti-Americanism to creep in. Friends will call out the United States, but let us have no doubt that the Iranian regime is a hateful, despotic regime that needs to be removed. This country needs to stand with the ordinary, innocent individuals of Iran and particularly those brave people who have been protesting against the actions of the Khamenei regime over the past number of years. As a country, we need to recommit ourselves to multilateralism. We need to support the stance that was taken by Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, at Davos. The Government and the Taoiseach have provided the right path in terms of the approach we are taking.”
“China’s economic interests, as we saw in the Balkans but also in other regions, will ensure that China will veto many of those missions as well. Those who argue in favour of maintaining the triple lock are actually in favour of destroying Irish neutrality. They are in favour of handing over our powers to decide on our future defence and security policy to Washington, Moscow or Beijing. It is very easy for us in this country to speak about the horrors happening in so many other parts of the world. Ireland is not perfect, but I always point out to people that we are incredibly lucky to live in an open, safe, prosperous democracy where people can peacefully protest outside our national Parliament, and as we know, there are peaceful protests outside every day of the week.”
“I strongly condemn attacks on any innocents, whether it happens in Iran, the West Bank, Israel, Syria or any other country. The removal of the ayatollah and the despotic regime, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I believe that in the long term, it will be a good thing for the region. We need to go further, however. We need to ensure international law is respected. We need to lead a campaign when it comes to reform of the UN. I am a strong supporter of our neutrality, but our neutrality means our hands should not be tied by members of the Security Council. We will not get a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon because the US will veto it. There will not be a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine because Russia will veto it.”
“This is the perfect example of what Thomas Piketty, the French economist, referred to as the Brahmin left, the left that has long since given up really caring about workers and is more enthused about telling people in this country and other countries how they should be living. By the way, I love the fact it was some of the same people who were telling the Iranians how they should be living who only a few weeks ago met with a counterprotest from Venezuelans who welcomed the removal of the dictator Maduro. Up to 30,000 people have been killed in the protests in Iran since the start of this year because they engaged in peaceful protest against discrimination by the regime. I, for one, do not believe that the removal of Ayatollah Khamenei is a bad thing.”
“Ever since the mullahs came to power in 1979, when we talk about Islamic law being enforced, it means non-compliance with it will meet with a violent response from the Iranian authorities. There is mandatory veiling. In fact, gender apartheid has long existed in Iran. I strongly believe that we do need to call out what the US and Israel have done but there is something else we need to call out in this House. We see members of the Irish-American movement protesting about this and claiming to speak on behalf of the Iranian people while real Iranians are having to organise counterprotests to say they know what is going on in their country.”
“Remember as well that the individual convicted by a Lebanese military tribunal of that killing, Mohammad Ayyad, allegedly sought refuge in Iran and was protected there. Iran, therefore, provided safe harbour to somebody convicted of the killing of a peacekeeper and Iran funded the killing of that peacekeeper because of its ongoing support of Hezbollah. When it comes to cybercrime, Iran is one of the four countries globally that is by far the most involved in cybercrime, including against this State. I have not even started to talk about how women and minorities, particularly the LGTB community, are treated by the authorities in Tehran. If people identify as LGTB or in any way show any sort of affection for somebody of the same sex, they face the death penalty. This is morally wrong.”
“Even if we look back over the past few days, where has Iran bombed? It has not just tried to target the United States and Israel. It has also directed its weapons against Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. There are certainly questions about all those jurisdictions. We know that Iran is not some innocent party in all of this. Iran has been the master for many years of hybrid or grey-zone warfare. It thinks about what it can get away with. It has proxies in Yemen, Lebanon and Palestine, including Hamas and Hezbollah. These are organisations that have caused untold damage. Let it not be forgotten that Hezbollah was responsible for the 2022 killing of UN peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney.”
“It is important that we debate what is happening there because what is going on there is very much linked to what is happening in the Middle East. Let there be no mistake about the relationship between Tehran and Moscow, and the fact that Iran has been supplying drones to Russia, drones that are being used against the Ukrainian people. I have no doubt about the actions of the United States and Israel that are wrong but we do need to start to talk about Iran, its role in the world and this idea that somehow Donald Trump has no respect for international law but the mullahs in Iran do have some sort of respect for it. That is complete nonsense. If we look at Iran, this is not a new war. Iran has been engaged in a hybrid and grey-zone war against so many countries over such a long period.”
“He is also committed, however, to geopolitical solutions to issues and he has also called out those who have opposed giving a loan to Ukraine to ensure the country can continue to defend itself. The reality is that the only reason Ukraine has not been reduced to the rubble we have seen in Gaza is that the State of Ukraine has been able to stand up against the might of Russia and support to do that has been provided by Europe. Those who oppose giving assistance to Ukraine now are guilty of complicity in the genocide being committed by Russia against the Ukrainian people. I requested a debate in this House two weeks ago on Ukraine to mark the anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion. It did not happen. I again ask in this geopolitical context that it would happen.”
“Our approach talks about real diplomacy and fully understanding all the geopolitical issues involved. In recent months and years, we have witnessed horrors in Gaza and the West Bank. I call out the genocide that has happened and the disgraceful actions of the Israel Defence Forces. I spoke in the first debate we had on the Middle East. I checked back over the Official Record and I was the only Deputy to mention Iran’s role in all of this and its role in terms of using its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah. We need to reflect on the fact that all these conflicts are linked. I heard a number of colleagues opposite praising Pedro Sanchez. I have a lot of time for Pedro Sanchez, and I think he is correct that the actions of the United States and Israel are wrong.”
“It is important the Government keeps an eye on what happens in this space and that the necessary supports are provided to those businesses, if necessary. I reject the idea that the Taoiseach is engaged in some sort of appeasement. The Taoiseach is very committed to defending international law. We have been very strong in this country and in this Government in talking about the importance of multilateralism. I am very proud of the tradition of multilateralism, in both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, where support for our membership of the United Nations and of the European Union is embedded within our parties. That will continue. This involves listening to and engaging with all parties, and not cheap stunts like calling for the expulsion of ambassadors and so on.”
“To start, I agree entirely with the Minister that first and foremost in this debate our thoughts have to be with the 24,000 citizens of this country in the Middle East. I too commend the diplomatic teams working there to ensure their safety. This has to be our priority, and the Government is right in adopting that approach. Before I turn to the geopolitical situation, I will comment on a number of specific impacts here. There has obviously been a discussion around what has been happening with fuel prices and the price gouging going on. The Minister will also be aware from her former brief that quite a number of import and export businesses rely on trade coming from the region. They are going to experience significant disruption.”
“The Minister has outlined what a serious issue it is, and the numbers impacted in this country by osteoporosis. We know there are approximately 32,000 fragility fractures every year and that is estimated to cost our health service approximately €464 million every year. That is not to forget the impact it has on the individual patients. Given our ageing population, if we do not address some of this, those costs could rise to close to €1 billion within a decade. I welcome the commitments toward healthier activity, particularly among older people. The Minister will be aware that there is a commitment in the programme for Government towards tax relief for gym membership to encourage people to build resistance and cope with falls. I hope when the issue of tax relief for gym membership is being considered that the Minister will support it.”
“As has been said, given that potentially one in 83 adults carries the genes for haemochromatosis, the more awareness about this, the better.”
“I am somebody who has haemochromatosis. I was very lucky about ten years ago that I had the diagnosis. I was simply feeling fatigued. It was a general checkup and I was lucky that my GP decided to check my iron levels. It is a perfectly manageable disease, as Deputy Daly has pointed out, and I am very fortunate that I can have a venesection in my local GP's surgery. The challenge, particularly among men, who perhaps do not go to the doctors as regularly as they should, is that there is not the level of awareness. When somebody leaves this condition undiagnosed and as the condition develops, the risk particularly of arthritis or other diseases grows. I ask that there would be a national awareness-raising campaign because of the disease's prevalence in Ireland.”
“Will the Taoiseach raise this with the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, who I know is aware of the issue? We need to fund those organisations that support amateur theatre and musicals right around the country.”
“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 my constituency, the Kilmuckridge Drama Festival recently took place and the South Leinster Drama Festival and the South Wicklow Drama Festival will also open soon. During Covid, we provided funding to those organisations. Can we commit to some sort of regular funding?”
“We need more debates in the media, business organisations, trades unions and civic society about how we deal with the threats and the challenges, but also about how Ireland can position itself to ensure that we benefit from the potential of this truly transformative technology.”
“We should not underestimate the scale of the changes that are happening. Every new technology is often overhyped in the short term, but it tends to be underestimated in the medium to long term. AI is having a profound impact. I am really grateful to colleagues. We are committed to continuing to work together to explore all of those issues and to working closely with the Minister of State and the Government to deliver the best for our citizens and those who reside here. Our committee has an awful lot more work to do. We have requested that it be put on a permanent footing. I am sure the Minister of State will support us in that regard. Debates like this are critical, but it is important that the debate is not just within this House.”
“In a mature democracy, it is critical that parliamentary committees operate in that way. The outcome of that, because we were able to work together, is we have come up with those 85 recommendations. They chime with a lot of what has gone into the strategy. As we move through other modules, I look forward to be able to further impact on Government policy. We are continuing to deal with AI in the State. We will be moving on soon to explore issues like AI and justice, AI and the creative industries, which I know the Minister of State is very passionate about, AI and energy and AI and education. We are learning from people right across these Houses, and from civic society organisations, business, and academic experts. We are very keen to hear their views. People can email ai@oireachtas.ie . That is an open call for e-mails.”
“As the Minister of State and colleagues have said, it is about getting that balance right between regulation and innovation. Deputy Geoghegan spoke about Ireland being a mature democracy. I often reflect on this. When we come into this Chamber on some of the big set-piece days there is a lot of theatre that goes on. The media become obsessed about the disagreements and the arguments. I have to say that I have learned so much at this committee. I felt we worked in a really collaborative way. People took off their party hats. I learned from colleagues as well and I thank James, Darren and Sinéad, and all the members of the committee for their views. There were disagreements on issues. I found that our views have changed. Sometimes we might not necessarily get the answers, but we suddenly start to think of the questions that we need to ask.”
“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 efficient a way as possible, that it is targeted at those who need supports, and that it allows for us to have a better society in which to live. Artificial intelligence cuts across all of those. It is the most transformative technology.”
“A training programme in here for legislators, in the same way as it is intended to roll out training right across add the public service, is something that is important. Again, I thank the secretariat and my fellow members of the committee for all their work and for their input. We want to continue to work with the Minister of State and across all of the government in a collaborative way to ensure Ireland plays a leading role in the global debate around artificial intelligence to ensure that our citizens are equipped to be able to avail of the opportunities and to make sure that the necessary safeguards are in place to protect our fundamental rights.”
“It is about what is happening in the employment market; the opportunities that are happening in healthcare; and the implications of AI energy use. All of those issues are going to continue to grow and it is critical that in the national Parliament we have a vehicle where they can be debated and views can be exchanged and that we can learn. I mentioned the awareness campaign and the general public. We need to look at doing it in here internally then within Leinster House as well so that people become very much aware of the transformational powers, positive and negative, of AI. We are using AI products, and rightly, already within Leinster House. Increasingly we know our constituents, businesses and organisations are raising issues relating to AI with us.”
“I appreciate that the EU Presidency is the focus but in terms of Geneva hosting the summit next year, I hope there will be a very strong Irish presence and input into that. The committee’s report made 85 recommendations. I pay tribute to my colleagues that we have worked in a cross-party way because we are all learning. This is a new technology. The reason we chose to do interim reports, and we will come out with another one, is to reflect the views that we are hearing because if we waited a few years for this report, things will have moved on quickly. There is a firm recommendation that the committee, which was set up as a medium-term special purpose committee, would be put on a permanent footing because the issues in the debates that we are dealing with and that we are facing is not just Grok.”
“I want to commend her leadership role and our committee looks forward continuing to work with her on preparation for that during the EU Presidency. It is vitally important that Ireland continues to take that leadership role and therefore I welcome the fact that the Minister of State took part in the global AI summit in India. I had concerns that Ireland was not going to be represented. Even though there is a diverse range of views on our committee, we think Ireland should inform and lead that debate and the values that we place on human rights and those fundamental rights, keeping humans in the loop - Ireland's values - will inform the global discussion on AI. It was critical that the Minister of State attended that summit.”
“We need to ensure young people's voices and those who work with young people are heard at the discussion table but again, we emphasise the importance of the voices of older people and those with disabilities and that they are recognised and heard within the discussion. I want to praise the Minister of State’s role in terms of the leadership that she provided on this. We have dealt a lot with the controversy involving Grok and she has been very clear-minded and focused in that area. When she came before us that on the first occasion prior to report, she set out a very ambitious programme. She clearly committed and owned that we were going to have an AI summit in Ireland in October focusing on Ireland playing a leading role in the kinds of skills that we all need in the world of AI.”
“On the imminent recruitment of the first chief executive, he or she will set the direction and how the role will operate. We need to see that role as a facilitative role. It cannot be a “Thou shalt not” regulator or an additional layer of bureaucracy on top of the system. It should be about ensuring how society is able to responsibly use AI to get better results. Technology is not a goal in itself; technology is the enabler for us to be able to achieve better goals for all of humanity and it is critical that it is humans who are going to be in the loop. We are very clear that as part of this office there needs to be the establishment of the youth advisory panel. The Minister of State will be aware that within other offices, the Ombudsman for Children's Office and Coimisiún na Meán, this has worked very effectively.”
“It is critical for us as a state to have real time information to be able to prepare for those changes and that can then inform the upskilling and reskilling of all of our citizens and those who live here. I want to turn to the national AI office. When the Minister of State came before our committee, we had quite a lot of discussion on this. She has a very strong commitment to that and ensuring it gets up and running, which is welcome. Unfortunately, even though there is a very specific committee on artificial intelligence, the legislation has gone to the enterprise committee. I appreciate the reason the rules of the House say that has to happen but we make the point that the AI office is about more than just enterprise.”
“I commend our colleague, the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy James Lawless, who has been talking about rolling out microcredential courses across the State ranging from very simply what is AI to support for SMEs about how they can embed AI to deliver their services more effectively. Our committee was very strong on opening an AI skills observatory. This is something the Minister of State is very committed to. This is very important. We know that the labour market is being impacted in many ways. The Department of Finance published a report specifically on this last week. There will be job displacement and jobs will be lost but equally there will be huge opportunities with new jobs as a result of AI.”
“It may be a case of reviving it along the lines of "I don't know what an algorithm is" and having those public information campaigns so that everybody in society can take part in the active debate around new technology. We place a lot of emphasis in our report on skills and literacy when we are talking about AI adoption. Our report very clearly recommends that emphasis be placed on a co-ordinated education initiative operating right through the education and training systems, and a lot of emphasis on AI literacy. This applies in schools and workplaces right throughout the entire system. This is something that is reflected in the Government strategy, particularly in terms of upskilling.”
“That is particularly true in the roll-out of AI in the public services. Both our report and the Government strategy talk about the need for more debate in public around AI and new technology and the opportunities and challenges. Our report recommends that we should have a citizens' assembly on AI, digitalisation and technology. It is critical that we engage all sectors of society in discussions on the potential benefits but also the pitfalls of this new technology. The use of public information campaigns so that people can actually understand what is happening is very important. The Minister of State may remember that at one time there was a very famous advertisement with the line "I don't know what a tracker mortgage is".”
“It is interesting that the Government's strategy states that this is going to be led from the Department of the Taoiseach. While it is not a specific recommendation of our report, certainly, the reflective view of all members of the committee is that because it covers more than just the Department of enterprise, consideration should be given to placing the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, at the Department of the Taoiseach. Enterprise is a very important part of how AI is having an impact, but this is much broader and has major societal implications so that is certainly an issue that should be considered. Our report and the 85 recommendations place a very strong emphasis on transparency, accountability and public trust. It is critical, as with any technology that is rolled out, that trust is always maintained.”
“It is very important that we send out that clear message that innovation and regulation are not mutually exclusive and, indeed, go hand in hand. I was very glad to see that last week, the Government published the national digital and AI strategy. Indeed, it is very positive for our committee that many of its recommendations and reflections found their way into the strategy or are echoed in a lot of the priorities that are presented. I will raise a number of issues contained within our report and suggestions to Government as to where we should be going in positioning Ireland because it should be as a leader in this space. Quite rightly, there is a recommendation within our report and within the strategy that we need an all-of-government approach to artificial intelligence.”
“For me, personally, of all the witnesses, and many great witnesses appeared before our committee, hearing the voices of young people who came through the National Youth Council of Ireland and the youth advisory panel of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children on their perceptions of AI and how it is transforming their lives was particularly interesting. It is certainly important that we continue to listen to those voices as this debate goes on. In terms of the overall approach, what we are striving to do, and it certainly chimes with Government policy, is support and encourage innovation, balancing that with regulation to support the responsible use of artificial intelligence and the protection of fundamental rights.”
“Our committee has chosen to work in a way whereby we looked at artificial intelligence because it is cross-cutting; it impacts on every Government Department and nearly every Government agency. We took a decision that we would operate in a module formula and address issues over time, looking at AI in healthcare, energy and education. We started, obviously, with a state of the nation address. We are very grateful to the Minister of State for her input right at the start. However, we decided to look at this topic through three very specific lenses, namely, AI and children and young people, AI and older people and AI and disability. I have to say, that has helped to inform a lot of the work we have done.”
“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 of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence. I am very grateful for the work of my fellow members. We have worked in a collegial and collaborative way to achieve this first report, which has 85 recommendations covering a range of issues.”
“It cannot just be about the allocation of SNAs to schools; it has to be about the necessary support for the children specifically concerned. I share colleagues' concerns about the National Council for Special Education. I think it failed in how it engaged on this issue with schools, and from a communications point of view it was a disaster. I also want to express concern about the fact that in north Wexford we have been left without a SENO for some time. This is a concern. SENOs are incredibly important in terms of being able to liaise with schools. As part of the review of the role of the SNA, we need to look at the role of the SENO in terms of the support they can give to the individual learner within the school system. The fact that we are now focusing on this issue is critical as we go on.”
“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. It is already under pressure for space. I welcome in particular the fact that therapy-based services are now available in all those schools. Critical to this debate is that the focus has to be on the child and their family and on providing those supports.”
“We do need stronger legislation in this regard and I ask the Taoiseach to either fast track my Bill or introduce legislation in this regard.”
“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 EU Presidency. The Taoiseach will also aware that I have a Bill before this House around the protection of voice and image. Our voice image likeness is vital. The Taoiseach will be aware of financial fraud where indeed his own image was misused to do that.”
“I am asking for it on behalf of Wicklow County Council and Wexford County Council to be able to address the problems with our roads as a result of these weather conditions.”