TD steps down as AI committee chairman following arrest
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne is resigning as chairman of the AI committee after his arrest last week, but will stay on as a regular member of the committee and as a TD, saying he looks forward to continuing his work.
Last Thursday the Wicklow-Wexford TD confirmed that while travelling from a hotel in Dublin to Dublin Airport, he was stopped at a city centre Garda checkpoint, whereupon he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. The Fianna Fáil party later confirmed that it had been informed of this matter.
He took a urine test, the results of which have yet to be returned.
Now, a week later, in a statement issued this Thursday night, he said that due to the “seriousness” of the subject, he will be voluntarily stepping down as chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence, and that the decision was “entirely” his own.
“I am stepping down totally without prejudice to the ongoing legal process arising from my arrest on suspicion of drink driving,” he said, adding that “There is no further movement on this issue.”
He continued: “Given the seriousness of the matter, my deep respect for my fellow committee members, and despite my strong personal and professional commitment to this area, I believe this is the right course of action to protect the Committee’s important work and ensure it can continue without any unnecessary distraction.”
He further emphasised that he was cooperating with all Garda inquiries.
“As the garda investigation remains ongoing, and I am cooperating fully with that process, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on that matter at this time,” he stated, adding that “I look forward to continuing my work as a member of the Committee and to continuing to write and speak about AI.”
Asked about the issue involving his party subordinate, Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin earlier described it as a “very serious issue”, noting that the Gardaí were pursuing it and that “we await developments on that.”
However, asked if Byrne would face political consequences if he received a charge in that case, the Taoiseach said he wouldn’t want to pre-judge until the “full facts” were available.
