Sharon Keogan: IMF Warns AI Could Hit 40% of Irish Jobs
Sharon Keogan responds to the IMF's recent report warning that artificial intelligence could affect more than 40% of jobs in Ireland and urges immediate government action. In this address she highlights recent corporate job cuts, the risks of over-reliance on multinationals, and the urgent need for reskilling and job diversification.
Immediate warning from IMF and Keogan's response
Sharon Keogan opens by citing the IMF's assessment that Ireland is particularly exposed to AI-related job losses. She points to reported and announced layoffs, including 20% of the workforce at MetE and further cuts at Oracle, to argue the country is already experiencing the disruption the report predicts.
Vulnerability of an economy built on multinationals
Keogan argues that dependence on multinational tech firms creates structural risks. She says the IMF explicitly warned that this alliance can be a vulnerability and questions the government's strategy to diversify employment and protect workers.
Labour market contradictions and youth impact
Keogan highlights the contradiction between youth unemployment figures and employers claiming they cannot find workers. She frames youth emigration as exported unemployment and stresses that without coordinated investment in reskilling and upskilling, many workers will be left behind.
Demand for a concrete plan and consequences of inaction
The address concludes with a call for a serious, coordinated government plan to align skills with future jobs, reduce dependence on multinationals and ensure people can live and work sustainably in Ireland. Keogan warns that without such action the country faces a period of disruption it is not prepared for.
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I rise today to address the recent IMF report warning of the impact artificial intelligence could have on employment in this country and I have to say it represents a very stark warning to the government. The IMF have stated that AI could affect more than 40% of the jobs in Ireland and that Ireland is actually more exposed than most advanced economies to these risks. That should set alarm bells ringing. Yet what do we see at the same time? We see major layoffs already happening. MetE is cutting 20% of its Irish workforce, some 350 jobs, while Oracle is reportedly planning to cut around 150 jobs and government sources are now briefing that further job losses are expected in the months ahead. At the same time we continue to rely heavily on multinational tech companies as the backbone of our economy. The IMF have warned very clearly that this alliance is itself a vulnerability. But where is the plan to address that? Where is the strategy to diversify employment and protect workers? And then we have the contradiction at the heart of our labour market. Youth unemployment still stands at around 6% yet employers say they cannot find workers. This is not a functioning system. This is a failure of policy. We also have, to be honest about youth emigration, when young people are forced to leave the country to find work, that too is unemployment, just exported beyond our borders. The IMF made it clear that without serious investment in reskilling and upskilling, workers will be left behind. And yet we hear vague assurances from governments that they will have people's backs. That is not a plan. Unless the government takes seriously coordinated action to align skills with future jobs, to reduce our over-reliance on multinationals and to ensure that people can live and work in a more sustainable way, we will not be able to do that. Our over-reliance on multinationals and to ensure that people can live and work here, we are heading into a period of disruption that this country is simply not prepared for.
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