Alice-Mary Higgins

Many thanks to @sineadgibney.bsky.social for moving and championing the Bill in the Dail!

Sad & disappointed that tonight in Dail Government are voting to kill my Quality in Public Procurement Bill which already passed all stages in Seanad with full cross-party support & backing from from unions, construction industry, RIAI & many more. This is a missed chance to #SpendBetter #speirgorm

My Quality in Public Procurement Bill which already passed all stages in Seanad will be debated in the Dail later today. My Bill puts quality at the heart of procurement, making sure the €19billion in annual spending is spent better and avoids the race to the bottom that is the current model.

About the PhD: Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.

are you displeased with today’s AI safety evaluation landscape and curious about what greater conceptual clarity, methodological soundness, and rigour in AI evaluation could look like? if so, consider coming to Dublin to pursue a PhD with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...

pls repost

There are currently two corporations with applications to strip the west coast of seaweed.
There will be a tiny window to put in a submission to these applications but it'd be good to build momentum now and get these applications being talked about locally.
Please sign and share.

Looking forward to this event tonight on the power of active neutrality, the dangers of escalating militarisation & the role Ireland can play to promote peace, international law & the UN.
7pm at Wynns Hotel Dublin TONIGHT
All welcome

We're at 80.37%. C'mon Ireland. France is at 307%!! Where's your competitive spirit.

This petition is the queen of petitions, 👸.

I know you've signed a lot already, but don't skip this one by. It's got clout!

#JusticeForPalestine #Speirgorm

Hi, since a few people have been asking me - I stopped using x about a year ago. My last post was on Feb 4th 2025 - it told people I was moving to bluesky & mastadon & encouraged others to do the same!

great news

The An Taisce website has plenty of suggestions on what to include in the email, but if you find it overwhelming I will legit help you write an email.
Just reply here if you want help or DM me if we're mutuals #Spéirgorm

Data Protection Commission owed more than €4 billion in fines Levies have either not been collected or are subject to legal challenge

€FOUR. BILLION.... www.irishtimes.com/business/202...

New Gist: What you can do about the Abuse Factory

As a follow-up to yesterday’s Gist, I’ve done a list of four things you can do about X without even having to put down your iPhone.

www.thegist.ie/the-gist-wha...

Happy Nollaig na mBan! and wishing Peace and Love to all in 2026 (despite the rough start...) #speirgorm

Ireland and the EU should be actively shouting about US breaches of international law right now - failure to do so contributes to normalisation of a new era of colonial gangsterism.

Our living planet is being relentlessly annihilated on a scale that's beyond any understanding. It is literally the apocalypse, in our time.

Is that *all* we humans collectively amount to?

I believe we have the power to change.

Happy Solstice to All! 💛

it's not over yet Taryn! - that was a vote on 2nd stage of the Arbitration Bill (designed to allow future ratification of dodgy CETA investor courts) but Arbitration Bill still has to go through more stages in Dail & Seanad early in new year so there is still time to act, campaign & stop it!

Arbitration Bill passed 2nd stage this week but still has to pass all other stages in Dail & Seanad & can/must still be fought! Nothing to do with trade as trade under CETA already happening -this is about signing Ireland up to dangerous & unnecessary investor courts & fast tracking future bad deals

So proud of my father for all the passion, courage,care and vision he brought to the last 14 years as President of Ireland. Both my parents have always been driven by a deep wide love for Ireland & the world, for people, planet & possibilities. Looking forward to their next chapter! #Grá #spiergirm

The world’s first trillionaire initiated a move that has left more than half a million people dead, most of whom are children.

#SpéirGorm
Story from Journal.ie

Vote!

So sorry this happened to your lovely shopfront and glad all of you and the books are safe!

Ireland’s natural environment in ‘very poor’ condition, EU analysis finds European Environment Report - news (analysis piece to follow) Embargoed to Sunday night 11pm

Ireland’s nature is in a “very poor” state, with the country’s economic growth achieved at the expense of the environment, according to the EU’s State of Europe’s Environment report. We’re running out of wake-up calls! www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Take Action - Hands Off Nature The Europe an Commission wants to roll back vital environmental protections – and they’re asking for your opinion. We have 10 days to speak up before it’s too late.

handsoffnature.eu/take-action/...

Last day of Public Consultation

Sign and Share!

Have your say in protecting nature!

While you're on holiday, the EU is dismantling environmental protections 🏖️➡️💔 #HandsOffNature
You have until 10 September to tell the Commission what you think. Your voice matters: birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/adv...

I'd be reluctant to reread magic faraway tree as it probably contains some terrible colonial subtext or similar ...

Screenshot of the first two questions in the survey - there's only six to answer. #SpéirGorm #SpéirGhorm #Ireland #Art

There's a REALLY quick and easy survey for the public consultation on the Basic Income for the Arts scheme - it only takes a few seconds, anyone can fill it in, and it could make a huge difference to arts workers in Ireland. Take a few ticks to places a few ticks here: ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/run...

Placards from this evening’s protest.

Anas Al-Sharif post shortly before his death under Israeli fire: “If this madness doesn’t end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased — and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”

Journalist Anas Al-Sharif reporting from Gaza, shortly before Israel killed him tonight:

“If this madness doesn’t end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased — and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”