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Irish Independent
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wicklow-Wexford chair of AI committee wants it to ‘lead public debate' on new tech
Chair of the new Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence (AI), Deputy Malcolm Byrne, has said the committee aims to 'lead public debate' on the merits of the new technology and that it will explore the necessary 'guardrails' to ensure its safe use in the healthcare, education and energy sectors. Led by Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne, the AI committee – like other Oireachtas committees – will advise the Houses of the Oireachtas, receive submissions and presentations from members of the public, interest groups and government departments, while scrutinising government expenditure and debating proposed legislation. Encouraging individuals and interested organisations to submit views on issues they would like to see investigated, Deputy Byrne said the groundbreaking technology could make the delivery of public services more efficient, improve healthcare outcomes and 'speed up many of the mundane tasks in many jobs', but cautioned there will be challenges, and 'guardrails must be in place to ensure AI is designed and used safely'. 'The first public meeting of the committee took place last week, and the 14-member body will be examining issues in modular form from the autumn, looking at themes such as AI and healthcare, AI and education and AI and Energy,' the Fianna Fáil deputy said. 'I was honoured to be asked to Chair this Committee as how technology affects our lives really interests me, and I had been pushing to get such a committee established during the last Oireachtas 'There are a number of organisations and companies in Wicklow and Wexford already using AI in their processes, and it will soon be essential that everyone has some knowledge of this new tech.'
The Journal
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
No value for money assessment conducted on bike shelter project, long-awaited audit finds
A LONG-AWAITED internal audit on the €336,000 Leinster House bike shed has found that no value for money assessment was ever conducted in advance of the works. The report, which has been published by the OPW this afternoon, found the costs of the OPW project had never been communicated to the Houses of the Oireachtas and that there was a lack of clear guidelines for oversight of projects worth less than €500,000. The report, which was carried out by Deloitte, made three high priority findings and said there was an 'absence of some fundamental good practices' for projects like the controversial bike shed. It said a value for money assessment should have been conducted as part of a 'robust options appraisal process.' The internal audit said this would have included looking more closely at 'lower cost alternatives' as well as the possibility of 'doing nothing.' It said: 'Approval to proceed with the project should only have been formalised when these evaluations were complete.' The audit also found there was no proper governance structure in place for projects that had a value of less than half a million Euro. 'The OPW cannot demonstrate how value for money was considered across all aspects of the decision to proceed with the delivery of the covered bike shelter project,' the report states. The report also found that management at Leinster House had not been given any information on how much the project would cost until it was completed. The audit went on to state that the June 2021 decision to proceed with the bike shed project was made without presentation or discussion of project costs. 'The HOC [Houses of the Oireachtas Commission] did not request cost information and the OPW did not present cost information,' it added. Advertisement The HOC is the governing body which oversees the delivery of services, with some members of the Oireachtas sitting on the commission. The auditors said when this happened there was a higher risk of poor value for money and 'an increased risk of mismatch in expectations on delivery versus cost of delivery.' The audit also found that while the Office of Public Works had a programme management plan in place, it was 'not necessarily easy to navigate' especially for smaller projects like the bicycle shelter. It said: 'Where there is a lack of oversight of projects there is a risk that these projects may not represent value for money or may not deliver to exact requirements in an efficient and effective manner.' There was a finding made as well that some of the paperwork for the project had not been signed or dated properly. In its findings, the internal auditors said there should be 'sample-based spot checks' made to ensure compliance. The report found more generally that the OPW's internal auditors were not always provided timely updates or information by colleagues. It said: 'Where the [head of internal audit] is not at an equivalent level to the senior management team, there is a risk of lack of engagement from management. '[There is also] a risk that the ARC [Audit and Risk Committee] is not receiving the appropriate assurance as to the effectiveness of the control environment within the OPW.' The report was released by the OPW following an appeal made under Freedom of Information laws. The OPW later published the report in full on its website. In a statement issued today, the OPW said it accepted the audit report's findings stating that the future focused recommendations made in the report around control measures will enhance capital expenditure practices across the OPW, with a specific focus on projects costing €500,000 or below. The OPW said the report will provide 'a focus for continuing to strengthen ways of working across the OPW' and it will 'provide a platform from which control improvements can be made for capital projects into the future'. With reporting by Christina Finn Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
€25,000 spent tricking male moths to have sex with other males in Leinster House
The Houses of the Oireachtas spent almost €25,000 last year tricking male moths into having sex with other males in an effort to prevent them from reproducing in Leinster House. Tablets containing female moth pheromones were placed in a range of locations throughout the building, including the bar, the Seanad, and the block that houses the Dáil chamber. Male moths are attracted to the tablets and become covered in the female sex pheromone. This overloads their receptors and confuses them so they are unable to locate female moths. Meanwhile, other males confuse these for female moths due to the residue of the pheromone. They try to mate with them and, in the process, become covered in the female pheromone themselves. This state of sexual confusion has the effect of disrupting the mating process and prevents moths from reproducing. However, records released under freedom of information laws show that it comes at a hefty price. The Houses of the Oireachtas paid a pest control company €23,493 to deploy the innovative system in 2024 – and a further €4,065 at the beginning of January this year. Pheromone tablets were placed in at least nine locations in Leinster House, including the restaurant, the five-storey block containing TDs' offices, and the corridor between the reading room and the bar. The cost of the measures to prevent moths from reproducing exceeded the cost of all other pest control services at Leinster House last year, which amounted to €20,147. Pest controllers were required to respond to an infestation of black garden ants in the toddler room of the creche at Leinster House in April, treating it with insecticidal gel. Black ants were also found in a kitchen area last July, while there were reports of rats burrowing in 'multiple locations' in a carpark near toilets where there had been previous infestations. Pest controllers recommended a CCTV survey of the drain network at Leinster House "to determine the source of rodent activity", and also identified a "high level" of pigeon faeces outside a dining hall. They were also called out in response to reports of a suspected wasp nest in the rear carpark at Leinster House last August. The records were released by the Houses of the Oireachtas under the Freedom of Information Act.
