Niamh Smyth
Cavan-Monaghan · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I thank Senator Higgins for speaking to this amendment and Senator Stephenson for putting it forward. I fully agree on the importance of co-operation and co-ordination between competent authorities in the implementation and enforcement of the AI Act.”
“63 would reduce the current period of 14 working days to a period of no more than seven days. The purpose of section 49 is to balance regulatory intervention with fair procedures.”
“I am going to take time after this debate to look at the Instagram account the Deputy raised today to see for myself. I do not disbelieve the Deputy. It upsets me so much to see that is allowed. Where is the monitoring of it?”
“These are: prohibited practices under Article 5; serious incidents reported under Article 73; high-risk AI systems referred to in annexe III in accordance with Article 49(5); and any other AI-related incidents or notifications required to be reported under the regulation.”
“The Government will continue to benefit from the expertise of the office in the deployment and implementation of AI-related policy and regulation.”
“I know that when you go to public meetings like those in question, there are tough stories from parents and you may feel a little inadequate sometimes in being able to deal with these things as quickly as possible. I am glad the Deputies used their time here today to make the presentation and to campaign for the parents.”
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“The strategy serves as a roadmap for how Ireland can leverage the potential of AI for unlocking productivity, addressing societal changes and delivering public services. It envisages a future for Ireland as an international leader in using AI to the benefit of businesses, public services and, most importantly, for people through a human-centred, ethical approach to AI development, adoption and use. A refresh of the AI strategy was published in November 2024 by my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, when he was the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The refresh takes account of the significant developments in AI technology and regulation, namely, the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 which predicted a massive acceleration in AI technologies that are available to consumers and businesses.”
“Another important use of AI is in agriculture, which is an area in which there are incredible applications, such as predicting disease outbreaks in herds through AI-enabled data analytics. AI tools are being used to monitor crop health and optimise farming practices. The potential efficiencies are huge. Improving delivery of public sector services for our citizens is another important opportunity. Strong digital government brings significant public value benefits to the wider economy as well as to the communities and businesses with which the public service engages. These are just a few examples of the opportunities and benefits. Its potential reach is vast. That is why the Government developed a national AI strategy in 2021 called AI - Here for Good.”
“We are seeing exciting strides in areas such as robotic surgery, the diagnosing of blood diseases and cancers and the analysing of medical images. Second, AI is being used to improve energy efficiency and predict energy demands and can, therefore, help us to address sustainability and climate action. AI is being deployed to monitor and reduce carbon emissions. AI contributes significantly to climate action by enabling data-driven environmental monitoring, optimising energy and consumption and supporting sustainable practices across industries. Smart grids powered by AI can balance energy demand and supply in real time, increasing energy efficiency and contributing to the fight against climate change.”
“The use of AI in smartphone technology has grown rapidly in recent years and is an example to most of us of how we can relate to it. AI-powered personal assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant have become a staple diet of many people’s daily lives. In my few short weeks as Minister of State, I have already learned there are massive opportunities for using AI to benefit the economy and wider society across various sectors. AI presents opportunities for beneficial impacts including in the delivery of public services, weather forecasting, healthcare, scientific discovery, sustainability, agriculture, transport and mobility. I will take a minute to emphasise some of these opportunities. First, the use and application of AI technology has great potential to help to solve challenges in healthcare.”
“I am pleased to take the floor of the House today as Ireland’s first Minister of State who has artificial intelligence, AI, in their title. We are living in a time of great change, unpredictability and opportunity. I am determined that my mandate as Minister of State in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will deliver and maximise the benefits of AI for our businesses, the economy and society more broadly. The opportunities presented by AI are not like previous technological advances. The speed and pace of progress is completely unprecedented. The potential for transformative impacts on our society and economy for our collective good is unparalleled. AI’s ability to analyse data, recognise patterns and provide insights has reshaped the way we work and live.”
“Several short-term, temporary solutions to prioritise resources and services provision in line with clinical needs have been undertaken in areas most affected by the high vacancy rates. In 2024, to attract more nurses to specialise as public health nurses, it was provided that existing staff nurses who wish to enter the public health nurse sponsorship programme could remain on the existing point of their current salary. As of November 2024, 86.6% of all three- to nine-month child development assessments were completed in time and before them reaching their 12-month old milestone. I acknowledge the concerns raised tonight and that the Deputies are raising them on behalf of their constituents. I acknowledge the suggestions they have both brought to the table with regard to how to address it.”
“I thank both gentlemen again for raising this important topic. The Government remains committed to providing continued investment in the health workforce, including public health nurses. I take on board the suggestions relating to capacity, recruitment and the Dublin allowance. There is also that piece about how we maybe have lots of staff who are willing to be in the HSE and public health and there are areas like Dublin, including the Deputies' constituencies, where they are thinner on the ground. The 27 WTE posts were provided for in budget 2025 and the Department of Health has requested that the HSE expedite these posts to areas where child health developmental assessments are impacted.”
“In addition, over the lifetime of the current public service agreement, public health sector staff, including public health nurses, will receive a pay rise of 9.25%. They are some of the introductions being made to try to address the issue, but I know, as has been raised tonight, if parents are living in the area and have a newborn baby or are expecting one, they need solutions right now. I take on board the suggestions made and the concerns raised.”
“I acknowledge the concerns of parents where access to these important public health nursing services is limited. The Department of Health is working with the HSE to address these challenges as a priority in the programme for Government. I take on board the suggestions made about how we can entice people into those all important positions as public health nurses. In 2024, to attract more nurses to specialise as public health nurses, it was provided that existing nurses who wish to enter the public health nurse sponsorship programme could remain on their current salary scale. Public health nurses have seen their salary scale improve with the addition of one further scale point and the introduction of a long service increment. This measure has contributed to an increase in the number of applicants to the programme in 2024 and 2025.”
“Several short-term, temporary solutions to prioritise resources and service provision in line with clinical needs have already been undertaken in areas most affected by high vacancy rates. Some areas are operating a priority 1 service as per the HSE's national caseload prioritisation procedure. They are, therefore, prioritising essential care, including birth notification visits and post-natal assessments. As of last month, ten local health offices were using the national caseload prioritisation framework to provide services. These include the office in Lucan, which falls within the remit of HSE Dublin and Midlands, of which the former CHO 7, to which Deputy Gogarty referred, is part. Where the prioritisation framework is used, child health developmental assessments have, in some instances, not been provided.”
“The Department of Health has requested that the HSE expedite recruitment to these posts in areas where child health developmental assessments have been impacted. It is important to note that the HSE recruitment pause ended in July 2024. There is currently no impediment to normal recruitment or replacement of staff within agreed WTE limits. Each regional executive officer will continue to prioritise, recruit and replace staff within the approved numbers as appropriate, including public health nurses. There are known challenges with the recruitment and retention of public health nurses, and right across the health sector, particularly in parts of Dublin. The HSE has established a national oversight group with specific focus on community nursing services to address these issues.”
“I thank both Deputies for raising this issue. I am from Cavan-Monaghan and do not live in the Dublin area, but I have heard much discussion in the media in recent days about the concerns of parents, particularly parents who are expecting their first child and who do not have access to a public health nurse to make those all-important milestone checks. The Government remains committed to providing continued investment in the health workforce, including public health nurses, and ensuring that this service is available to those who need it. Public health nurses are employed by the HSE to deliver safe, quality and person-centred community nursing care across people's lives. There are currently 1,511 whole-time equivalent, WTE, public health nurses employed in the HSE. A further 27 posts were provided for in budget 2025.”
“The Deputy stated that there were 15 homes in Galway County Council's area that are at risk of not being completed and of not being open to tenancies because of that suspension. I have taken note of what the Deputy said in her and will get her a response.”
“While final figures for 2024 have not yet been collated, it is expected that 1,500 acquisitions were completed. The programme for Government contains a commitment to continue with the tenant in situ scheme. As a result, we have to assume it is not suspended. There are annual targets and budgets assigned for each local authority. Pending a Government decision on the 2025 programme, local authorities are asked to continue to take appropriate steps and ensure that their first response is through local tenancy sustainment structures in order to support households and prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with notices of termination by their landlords.”
“I beg the Deputy's pardon. I will take a note of that. These options include securing the continuation of the tenancy with the landlord, securing alternative accommodation through the HAP place finder, allocating another rental accommodation scheme property or allocating a social housing tenancy, including voids, untenanted properties and properties available with an AHB. There were 1,500 acquisitions approved for 2023 and the programme was extended by the Government into 2024 with a further 1,500 acquisitions, 1,300 of which would be tenant in situ . Local authorities have delegated sanction to deliver the 1,500 acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within acquisition cost guidelines issued by the Department. More than 1,800 homes were acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies in 2023.”
“The Deputy's specific question was on Galway local authority and she stated that it had verbally confirmed to her that the scheme had been suspended since, I believe, 2023.”
“In 2023, however, following the lifting of the temporary eviction ban and a reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes in the HAP and rental accommodation schemes, the Government introduced a temporary measure - the tenant in situ acquisitions scheme - in order to mitigate the risks of homelessness arising for tenants being supported by HAP or RAS. A key objective of the programme is to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions cannot be found for the affected tenants. It is a matter for local authorities to assess the circumstances of each case and decide the appropriate action. All available options should be considered in order to prevent homelessness up to and including acquisition.”
“The Deputy's question is a very serious one and it is on the issue that this Government will be judged on. I have some statistics from the Department, but on the Deputy's specific question, I am not aware of the tenant in situ scheme being suspended. I will share with the Deputy the information I have with me. If it does not have specific details relating to her question, I will bring it to the attention of the Department to try to get clarity for her. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022 to 2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and AHBs. Under Housing for All, there is provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year.”