Pa Daly
Question:
413. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Enterprise; Trade and Employment the measures the incoming Government plans to introduce to regulate the use of artificial intelligence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1739/25]
View answer
The information requested is currently being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy once compiled.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Orders.
I refer to Parliamentary Question 1739/25 for answer on 22 January, where I indicated that additional time was required to reply appropriately due to the change of Government. The question posed was as follows:
To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures the incoming Government plans to introduce to regulate the use of artificial intelligence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The landmark EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act came into effect in August 2024, and applies, in a phased manner, over the period to August 2027.The Act is the world's first comprehensive AI regulation and positions Europe to play a leading role globally in the regulation of this powerful technology. The regulation provides clear guardrails for the use of AI in the EU.
The AI Act is designed to promote responsible uses of trustworthy AI and will provide a high level of protection for people’s health and safety, and their fundamental rights. The Act is risk-based so that its provisions are targeted and proportionate – it is not a blanket instrument
applying to all AI systems. Many, if not most, AI systems will incur minimal obligations under the Act as they are low risk.
My Department is leading on the national implementation and transposition of the AI Act, which establishes a sophisticated governance and implementation structure at both national and EU levels. As an EU regulation, the Act has direct effect in all Member States. However, we have discretion in relation to the national configuration of competent authorities. The Act has an ambitious timeline for implementation and national competent authorities must be designated by 2 August 2025 My officials are currently assessing, together with other Government Departments, the optimal national configuration of competent authorities for efficient and effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act.
On 31 October 2024, my Department published a list of nine national public authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights under the AI Act. This fulfilled Ireland’s first obligation for the national implementation of the Act. The identified authorities will not be competent authorities for the Act. Rather, these authorities will get additional powers under Act to facilitate them in carrying out their current mandates in circumstances involving the use of AI systems. These powers will apply from 2 August 2026.
The first rules on uses of AI under the Act started to apply from 2 February 2025. These include the prohibition of eight AI practices due to the unacceptable risk they pose.
For high-risk AI systems specified in the Act, there are conditions that must be satisfied by their providers, and by their deployers, in order for such systems to be placed on the market or put into use, starting from August 2026. Transparency conditions will apply to providers and deployers of AI systems that give rise to lower-order risks, such as chatbots.
The Act also mandates Members States to establish a National AI Regulatory Sandbox to facilitate the development and testing of innovative AI systems under strict regulatory oversight before these systems are placed on the market or otherwise put into service. The sandbox must be operational by August 2026.
I am committed to the comprehensive and robust implementation of the Act in Ireland, while also acknowledging the potential benefits for Ireland of a people-centred, ethical approach to AI development, adoption and use. Our National AI Strategy Refresh 2024 serves as a roadmap for how Ireland can reap the potential benefits of AI for business, for addressing societal challenges, and for delivering better public services. It envisions a future for Ireland as an international leader in using AI to the benefit of the economy, society and people.
