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Published Date : 11/06/2025
A newly elected Fianna Fáil TD, Naoise Ó Cearúil, has been appointed to the Oireachtas AI committee despite holding stock in an AI company co-founded by IDF veterans.
A newly elected Fianna Fáil TD, Naoise Ó Cearúil, has been appointed to the Oireachtas AI committee despite holding stock in an AI company co-founded by IDF veterans.
Fianna Fáil appointed a newly elected TD to the Oireachtas artificial intelligence committee – even though he holds stock worth thousands in an AI company co-founded by a man who “conducted classified intelligence work” for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Naoise Ó Cearúil became Kildare North’s newest TD last year after a decade on Kildare County Council and is Fianna Fáil’s AI spokesperson. His party colleague Malcolm Byrne appointed him to the AI committee last month.
Ó Cearúil declared restricted stock units worth €13,154.86 in his previous employer Gong – established in Tel Aviv in 2015 by two IDF veterans – in his Dáil register.
When asked by The Ditch if it’s appropriate for him to sit on the AI committee, Ó Cearúil said, “There is no conflict, my ethics declaration is available to the public. Additionally, if there was a potential conflict of interest during a session, I will recuse myself from that session.”
In a Dáil debate on artificial intelligence before the committee’s establishment, Ó Cearúil recommended the new committee “come up with some suggestions to government with how we can utilise AI from an international perspective and a state perspective.”
He asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin to
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Q: Who is Naoise Ó Cearúil?
A: Naoise Ó Cearúil is a newly elected TD for Kildare North and the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on artificial intelligence. He has been appointed to the Oireachtas AI committee.
Q: What is the Oireachtas AI committee?
A: The Oireachtas AI committee is a parliamentary body in Ireland responsible for discussing and making recommendations on the use and regulation of artificial intelligence in the country.
Q: What is Gong and who founded it?
A: Gong is an AI company founded in 2015 in Tel Aviv by Amit Bendov and Eilon Reshef, both of whom have backgrounds in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Q: What is the significance of Gong's connection to the IDF?
A: Gong's founders have backgrounds in the Israeli military, which raises questions about potential conflicts of interest for Naoise Ó Cearúil, who holds stock in the company and is on the Oireachtas AI committee.
Q: What is Naoise Ó Cearúil's response to potential conflicts of interest?
A: Naoise Ó Cearúil stated that there is no conflict and his ethics declaration is available to the public. He also mentioned that he would recuse himself from any sessions where a conflict might arise.
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