I congratulate the Minister and Ministers of State on their appointments and wish them every success in the new roles. I will focus on the availability of land in Cork and the opportunity to develop enterprise there. Will the Minister outline the discussions between the council, the Department and the IDA to ensure there are adequate opportunities, land and sites available for growing enterprises in Cork?

Sentiment score: 0.69

It sounds like there is a great deal of background work going on. I will focus on one sector of enterprise. Cork County Council has had successful sites in which it supported smaller enterprises: Macroom E, for example, and a number of others across the county. As these smaller enterprises grow, they need additional space to expand. Enterprise Ireland and IDA's focus is international and large scale, so this group of businesses falls between two stools. They are not big enough for IDA or Enterprise Ireland and they have outgrown their facility in Cork County Council. A focus should be on these often indigenous organisations, whether they trade locally, nationally or internationally, to ensure there is a space for them. IDA should recognise that.

Sentiment score: 0.28

Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go ndíreofaí isteach ar riachtanaisí phobal na Gaeltachta agus comhlachtaí Údarás na Gaeltachta chomh maith. Tá an cheist cheannann chéanna le réiteach. Tá an t-údarás dírithe ar Gteic units i mBaile Bhuirne, i gColáiste Iosagáin agus mar shampla, i mBéal Átha an Ghaorthaidh. A similar situation arises in the Gaeltacht area with Údarás na Gaeltachta and the smaller enterprises it has supported in its gteic units. It does that in Gaeltacht areas across the country. Has a similar conversation been taking place with Údarás na Gaeltachta to ensure adequate lands are available for companies who outgrow the gteic units and similar situations?

Sentiment score: 0.14

12. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for the up-to-date position on the implementation of the new AI strategy; whether this new AI strategy will reflect the fast moving pace of AI technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6757/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

Ar an gcéad dul síos, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit. Many congratulations to the Minister of State on her appointment. I am delighted for her and wish her every success with the new role. AI is very much part of the present and future and the programme for Government commits to upgrading the national digital strategy to take into account the situation around AI and its possible future uses. Can the Minister of State give an outline of the up-to-date situation concerning the development of the strategy for dealing with artificial intelligence?

Sentiment score: 0.39

I thank the Minister of State. Very often a whole swathe of concerns is expressed by people in the context of the debate around AI. These include from an ethical point of view, climate change concerns and a whole broad range. Equally, though, there is excitement regarding the opportunities existing here. One area I would like to focus on is ensuring another generation is empowered and in a position to know how to use artificial intelligence and make the best use of it. What level of engagement is there with the education system to empower people regarding the use of AI? Similarly, regarding businesses, very often there were previously trading online vouchers to encourage them to have an online presence. Will there be a similar situation to aid businesses to educate, train and empower their employees in the use of AI?

Sentiment score: 0.43

The debate last night was very useful and a huge range of topics were discussed. One area I would like to focus on is the AI advisory council established last month with a view to providing independent expert advice to the Government. Can the Minister of State give an outline concerning the advisory council, how often its members have met and who they are meeting with? I ask this to get a flavour of their direction of travel. Are they, for example, meeting with education bodies to ensure that any advice and emphasis is also there from that perspective to empower a new generation?

Sentiment score: 0.29

85. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the roll-out of the National Broadband Ireland, NBI, broadband service for the deployment area that covers Dunmanway, Ballingeary and Carriganimmy in County Cork; for NBI to provide additional resources to ensure timelines previously provided by NBI are met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6758/25]

Sentiment score: 0.13

First, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I wish him every success in his new role. I want to ask the Minister about the roll-out of broadband by NBI in the area west of Macroom, in particular the switches in Carraig an Ime, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh and Dunmanway. They serve a large rural community from Clondrohid through Cill na Martra and Inchigeelagh on towards Kilmichael and Coppeen. It is a large community that has been very patient and is keen to see that implementation on it soon.

Sentiment score: 0.34

I thank the Minister of State. People in the area west of Macroom and the communities there feel they have been very patient in waiting on the NBI roll-out - maybe too patient. We were provided last year with data suggesting that the surveys were to be completed last summer and last September in those particular areas. The online monitor suggests that it has not started yet in the Carraig an Ime switch area, which will cover the Baile Bhuirne, Clondrohid and Carraig an Ime area. I am pleased to note that the Minister of State said the survey is under way there. That is headway but it is still behind what was committed to at this time last year. Surely since the roll-out has been going on lessons have been learned or ways have been found to move more quickly through the later deployments. Have any lessons been learned on how to move it along more quickly that could be applied to those switches, which are some of the last remaining switches in the country?

Sentiment score: 0.20

I recognise that you have to start somewhere and finish somewhere and that some communities will be served faster than others. However, as I mentioned earlier, we feel we have been very patient in our communities. There is also one on the Minister of State's own doorstep which appears to be toward the latter part of the roll-out. We are sick of waiting. We are sick of it at this stage. Is there some way of digging the boot in on NBI and making it clear that it needs to get on with that roll-out and make it happen for communities such as Baile Bhuirne, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, Inchigeelagh, Kilmichael, Coppeen and that whole area west of Macroom? It must have seen and learned ways from the earlier roll-out in being able to expedite various different switches. In the interests of those communities, can we communicate crystal clear to the NBI that we need it to start its surveys and get on with serving those communities west of Macroom and any other remaining areas?

Sentiment score: -0.01