Sinn Féin spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Louise O’Reilly TD, has said the National Risk Assessment makes clear the need to secure future economic opportunities in emerging knowledge-intensive sectors.

Teachta O’Reilly said:

“The National Risk Assessment for Ireland 2023 makes clear the delicate balance of opportunities and threats due to technological advancement.

“The report states that while emerging technology will bring many opportunities, they also bring threats in terms of social cohesion and inequality.

“It is essential that government, and State agencies, such as the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence, analyse, investigate, and navigate the risks which accompany emerging technologies.

“This will also necessitate the contribution of workers and the trade union movement.

“However, there are also significant social and economic opportunities to be gained from emerging technologies.

“Sinn Féin believes that government and the State Economic Agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and the Local Enterprise Offices need to seize on the opportunities that exist in terms of knowledge-intensive sectors such as decarbonisation, cleantech, renewables, AI, machine learning, quantum computing, cell and gene therapy, and other forms of advanced personalised medicine.

“Through doing this, we believe the State can minimise risk, maximise opportunity, and put the economy on the front foot for the coming decades.

“There is a need for the State to get ahead of emerging technological developments, to shape the direction of travel at a national and European level, to exploit the economic opportunities in these areas and harness their positive power, and legislate, where necessary, to protect workers and society.”