Irish TD Malcolm Byrne resigns as AI Committee chair after drink-driving arrest

Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as the Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence. This decision comes after Byrne confirmed his arrest on suspicion of drink driving last Thursday morning.

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I am stepping down totally without prejudice to the ongoing legal process arising from my arrest on suspicion of drink driving. There is no further movement on this issue.

In a statement, Byrne emphasized that his resignation from the chairmanship is entirely his own decision and is made without prejudice to the ongoing legal proceedings. He cited the "seriousness" of the matter as the primary reason for his departure from the leadership role. "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 stated.

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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.

Byrne confirmed he was stopped at a mandatory garda checkpoint in Dublin city center while traveling from his hotel to Dublin Airport. Fianna Fáil had previously confirmed that Byrne had informed the party of his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, commented on the arrest, stating he "abhorred drink driving" and that the gardaí were investigating the matter.

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That's a very serious issue. The gardaí are pursuing that matter and we await developments on that.

While Byrne will step down as chair, he intends to remain an active member of the AI Committee. He expressed his commitment to supporting the vice-chair and any future chair, adding, "I look forward to continuing my work as a member of the Committee and to continuing to write and speak about AI." He stated that due to the ongoing garda investigation, he would not comment further on the arrest itself.

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I look forward to continuing my work as a member of the Committee and to continuing to write and speak about AI.