Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2025
443. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will identify any projects which the Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18383/25]
View answer444. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will identify any projects which a body under the aegis of his Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; if he will send this question to the bodies for direct response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18401/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 444 together.
Developed by my Department, Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. As part of this policy, significant investment has been made to support remote working projects, in collaboration with local authorities and communities.
Artificial intelligence has added value to this investment. The Western Development (WDC) is one of four agencies under my Department's remit. The WDC has worked with CeADAR in the identification of optimal sites for locating remote hubs, through the ReLeafHubs project. CeADAR won a Smart Digital Award in 2024 for developing ReLeafHubs which helped reduce carbon emissions, support rural economies, and reimagine remote workspaces. The project also used artificial intelligence to help end-users find the most convenient hub.
There are three other agencies under my Department’s remit, Pobal, the Charities Regulator, and Water Safety Ireland. They have have not worked with CeADAR to date. My Department has no projects underway with CeADAR directly.
