Politics watch: Government criticised over child hip surgeries report
Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.
Child hip surgeries
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there are 'disturbing' implications if some of the claims made about unnecessary child hip surgeries are true.
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An audit was conducted into a random anonymised sample of patients, aged one to seven years, who were operated on from 2021 to 2023.
The audit was carried out after concerns were raised around different standards and surgical practices for developmental dysplasia at Crumlin, Temple Street and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil that the audit was at 'an advanced stage' and warned against worrying parents through a 'drip feed' of information.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald suggested in the Dáil that letters being sent to parents whose children were operated on 15 years ago was confirmation that the issue stretched back further.
'We've been raising it with you, conscious of all of those parents who are now asking themselves, was my child operated on (unnecessarily)? How could this have happened and what are the consequences now?'
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She accused the Government and Children's Health Ireland of having 'stonewalled' parents.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin accused Ms McDonald of being 'disingenuous' and said 'the obvious thing' was to wait for the audit report to be published.
He said he was conscious of the 'anxiety and concern' from parents as surgery for a child is traumatic for that family.
The Government is likely to face further criticism ahead of the publication of the report.
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Oireachtas AI committee
With many fearing their jobs are at risk from artificial intelligence (AI), a new Oireachtas committee aims to consider not only risks but also opportunities the new technology will bring to Irish society.
When the Oireachtas committees were recently announced, one area of particular interest was the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee.
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne was confirmed as the chair of the Oireachtas AI Committee.
In an interview with
BreakingNews.ie
, Mr Byrne explained that the committee will 'explore how [AI] will impact different aspects of Irish life, from agriculture to healthcare to transport'.
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'We'll obviously be looking at safety measures to be put in place,' he said, 'but equally at the opportunities for both companies and social enterprises to use AI in delivering public services more efficiently and effectively.'
While many people fear losing their jobs to AI, Mr Byrne believes it will create more opportunities than it eliminates.
'There are lots of opportunities ahead. Yes, there will be displacement in the labour market. Some jobs will no longer exist as a result of artificial intelligence. But, as with any new technology, many more jobs will be created. So it's important we look at how to prepare people — through reskilling and upskilling — to take advantage of the opportunities that AI will bring.'
He added: 'Robots aren't going to take over every human function, but workers who use artificial intelligence will replace those who don't. And we've got to prepare for that.
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'With any new technology, there are natural fears — and some very legitimate concerns.'
He said the protection of personal data and the development of ethical AI training models will be key areas for the committee.
Abroad
US president Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, and secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the United States on a trip to the Gulf.
The US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion (€126 billion), according to the White House which called it "the largest defense cooperation agreement" Washington has ever done.
Downing Street
has hit out at 'fake news' after Russia fuelled claims that cocaine was on the table as Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz chatted on a train to Kyiv.
The French president could be seen removing a tissue from the table as the three leaders chatted, but viral videos claimed it was a suspicious bag of white powder.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova shared the video, claiming 'they forgot to put away their paraphernalia' before journalists arrived in the carriage.
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