New Special Advisor role for Cassells

Former senator and Meath West TD, Shane Cassells, has been appointed special advisor to the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment with special responsibility for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth.

The Navan man stepped down from Seanad Eireann on the election of the new senate last month, and joined the staff of the junior enterprise minister on Thursday last.

Deputy Smyth, whose family own the Circle K filling station and store on the Collon Road in Slane, is a Cavan-Monaghan TD since 2016, and is a grandniece of former Minister for Agriculture, Paddy Smith. In her previous role as chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, she was high profile during the hearings into the RTE payments scandal.

Appointing her former Leinster House colleague to the new role, she said: "I am pleased to appoint Shane Cassells as my special advisor in support of my role as minister. As someone who has extensive knowledge of the workings of government and through his previous experience serving on the media committee, I know Shane will bring a breadth of experience that will assist me in my role. "AI and digital transformation is one of the most exciting areas in our modern economy and my department is working closely with both the public and private sector to achieve this potential," she continued.

Mr Cassells added: "I'm really looking forward to working with Minister Smyth on her exciting portfolio. I hope my own extensive experience in politics and media can assist her in the job she has to do. AI is going to transform so many aspects of our lives and that transformation in business and society is happening now. This is a new and exciting departure for me and one I'm really looking forward to."