2026-05-27

Having worked in the artificial intelligence space prior to my election to this House, I have seen the amazing pros but also the cons that come with such technology, particularly as agentic technology develops. Basic administrative tasks in the workplace are being taken away from individuals, allowing them to do more strategic and focused work. That should be welcomed. On the other hand, there are roles that are being completely reshaped, and the entire workplace is being completely reshaped as well. Up to 40% of tasks are at risk of automation in the next five years. That is not all negative. As I said, if we can allow people the flexibility to focus on more strategic work, that type of automation is to be welcomed. It is a difficulty because up to 40,000 jobs could be at risk because of automation. Some piece of automation within a job is to be welcomed because it helps people. However, if it risks taking someone's job or role, that is where there is a challenge. What we have seen internationally is that there has been a 15% to 40% reduction in customer service and compliance roles, and also in the financial services element. I have written a national AI workplace replacement programme to essentially direct how we should help workers whose jobs are at risk or are impacted by AI. The Minister, Deputy James Lawless, has done a lot of work on a national skills observatory, and there are other elements, with the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, having also taken many actions. However, we need to be proactive before roles are impacted, rather than after. We have seen 700 jobs recently lost at Covalen and another 300 at Meta, so over 1,000 jobs have been lost in recent weeks due to the rise of AI. What I am proposing in this policy is that we focus on small and medium enterprises or large enterprises. As stated, we have seen job losses at the likes of Covalen and Meta hit the news headlines. However, there are many roles that have been replaced and that have not hit the headlines. It is a case of one job here and five jobs there. We know from the industry that this is happening quietly. What I am setting out in my policy proposal is that when a company is going to reduce its workforce, it should notify the Government and the national AI workplace relations programme. The State could then assist in retraining thee workers involved to take up new roles within the business. If no roles are available within that particular business, then they should be retrained to take up positions outside of it. What that would do is protect jobs and reskill people within the workplace as opposed to those jobs being lost and the people who hold them having to go on social welfare. One example could be somebody working in an administrative or secretarial role who would move into overseeing the AI being used to replace their role. Another example could be around data integrity and ensuring that whatever is happening is GDPR compliant. I have already engaged with the unions, employer representatives, the Taoiseach and Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, in respect of this matter. It is important that we set out the foundation for establishing a programme and a pilot scheme. I will explain that latter in a moment.

I thank Deputy Ó Cearúil for raising this very important issue. I recognise his strong work on it and on developing a national AI workplace transition programme and leading out on it in the context of meeting with employers, unions and the relevant Ministers. The Deputy's work within the political system has been pioneering in relation to this matter. It is appropriate that we are discussing it here in the Dáil this morning. This is something that will have to take up much more Government and Oireachtas time in the period ahead in the context of ensuring that we respond to this challenge and that we are at the forefront when it comes to making sure it is used positively and to the benefit of the public. We must also ensure that our policies reflect an approach that harnesses AI in this way. As the Deputy will know, in the first instance, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is the appropriate lead for issues of skilling, reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to navigate the impacts of potential job displacement due to the adoption of Al technologies. I am taking this matter on his behalf this morning,. I know the Deputy has been liaising closely with him and his officials on this issue and on his policy proposal. The digitalisation of the economy and society and the adoption of AI are among the largest structural forces shaping our country. The Government is committed to driving our digital agenda and to Ireland remaining a digital leader at the heart of Europe and globally. Accordingly, Digital Ireland was published on 18 February. The latter is the national digital and Al strategy. It sets an ambition for Ireland to be a global hub for applied Al innovation. It also renews the Government's commitments to inclusion and accessibility to ensure that no one is left behind in this digital and Al revolution. Research published by the Departments of Finance and Enterprise, Tourism and Employment shows that Ireland is relatively more exposed than other advanced economies. In line with this finding, Digital Ireland seeks to support workers to navigate and mitigate the impacts of potential job displacement, including through agile, responsive and accessible skills supports. The Government recently held its first national skills round table, marking the beginning of a national programme of high-level engagements focused on ensuring Ireland has the right skills for a rapidly changing economy. This will include a series of sector-specific meetings with employers and industry representative bodies to gain deeper insight into priority skills needs. Officials within the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are currently developing a statement of ambition, which will focus on digital skills including Al skills, and a roadmap for technology skills for the future, which will be the successor to Technology Skills 2022. The Department is also developing a national skills observatory. It is intended to have the observatory in place by year end. The observatory will have several functions, including monitoring labour market trends and emerging skills needs, which will support Ireland's responsiveness to education and training systems. Regarding recent developments, last month saw the launch of the AI Ready platform. The latter will support early inclusive skills development, an approach strongly reinforced by ESRI and Central Bank research on Al, skills and labour market disruption. SOLAS and the educational training boards, ETBs, have developed short flexible courses, including micro-qualifications focused on Al awareness, applied skills and career transition opportunities. Higher education institutions continue to deliver a wide range of specialist and foundational digital skills programmes, including micro-credentials, through initiatives such as Springboard+. These are complemented by the work of Skillnet Ireland, which continues to deliver enterprise-led upskilling opportunities that are aligned with industry needs.

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.

I acknowledge the relevance of the proposal and policy approach the Deputy has put forward. The Government has to focus on seeing how we can ensure workers are retained within companies. That is absolutely the Deputy's focus. The Government obviously takes the need to retrain and reskill people seriously. I have already outlined on behalf of the Minister for further and higher education the different steps being taken, whether it is the roadmap for technology skills for the future, the statement of ambition on digital and AI skills, the AI micro-qualifications developed by SOLAS or the online platform AI Ready, which is focused on trying to make sure the skills and retraining is provided from Government and all our agencies. The approach Deputy Ó Cearúil is taking goes to the nub of where we need be in order to try to address this challenge. Certainly, he has been doing a lot of work on this with the officials, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth. I will engage with them in relation to this debate and on the importance of working with the Deputy on the policy proposal he has put forward. I again acknowledge the Deputy's advocacy and leadership within the political system with regard to the importance of addressing this matter and putting forward tangible proposals as to how that can be achieved. It is very important from a Government perspective that our Departments engage with him to take that on board and, collectively, to try to address something that is evolving rapidly. I agree with the Deputy that our objective has to be how we protect workers during the transition. Obviously, AI has massive potential to be of benefit, but it has to be something that we ensure we harness for the good of wider society in a way that improves people's quality of life. To achieve that, we have to make sure that employment is maintained, that people have jobs to go to and that AI adds to productivity and the good things we, as a society, experience . Crucial to that is that jobs are protected in the process. The Deputy's policy proposal very much aims to address that. I will relay the points he made to the Minister.

I thank the Minister. We need to move on to the next Topical Issue in ainm an Teachta O’Gorman.