Sinn Féin TDs for Waterford, Conor D. McGuinness and David Cullinane, have demanded action to protect the livelihoods of Irish artists whose copyright is being undermined by the use of artificial intelligence.

A Sinn Féin motion on this issue will be debated on Tuesday 14th July during Sinn Féin’s Private Members’ Business in the Dáil.

Conor D. McGuinness TD said:

“Irish artists are being ripped off. Their copyrighted work is being used, without their consent and without any remuneration, to build systems that spew out ‘AI art’ which directly competes with them.

“This is making it even harder for Waterford’s writers, composers, musicians, performers, actors and other artists to make a living in a field where so many already struggle, and where royalties from copyright are vital to their income.

“Waterford has one of the most vibrant and diverse creative communities in the country. From the unique artistic heritage of Gaeltacht na nDéise to the international success of Waterford Walls, our county is home to exceptional playwrights, poets, novelists, painters, sculptors, muralists, graphic designers, filmmakers and television producers, alongside a thriving music scene spanning traditional, classical, contemporary, experimental, rock and ska. Our artists and creatives enrich every part of civic, social and community life across Waterford, and they deserve to have their work protected.”

David Cullinane TD said:

“That is why Sinn Féin is bringing this motion before the Dáil to demand action both here and at European level to protect the copyright and incomes of artists, to ensure no State funding for the arts is spent on content produced by AI, and to place the creative sector at the heart of decision-making when it comes to AI policy.

“The economic impact of AI is significant. The music and audiovisual sectors alone face a projected cumulative loss of €22 billion over the coming years, including almost a quarter of revenue for music creators.

“One music streaming service, Deezer, found that roughly 44% of daily uploads were AI-generated, and that up to 85% of the streams generated by fully AI-generated tracks in 2025 were fraudulent.

“The European Parliament and a majority of EU Member States have recognised the need for a copyright framework that keeps pace with technological change. Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union gives us an opportunity to show leadership.

“We have listened to artists and representative organisations, including IMRO, the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, the Ivors Academy, IRMA, the Irish Writers’ Union and Irish Equity. Now is the time for Government TDs to back this motion and stand with artists rather than allowing them to continue being ripped off.”