My Department has taken a proactive and coordinated approach to supporting the responsible and effective adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the Public Service. In May 2025, the Department published the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service, which provide a practical framework to assist Public Service Bodies in designing, developing and deploying AI in a manner that is ethical, transparent and aligned with public service values.
The Guidelines are structured around seven core principles. The are (1) human agency and oversight, (2) technical robustness and safety, (3) privacy and data governance, (4) transparency, (5) diversity, non-discrimination and fairness, (6) societal and environmental well-being, and (7) accountability. These are supported by a decision framework, an AI lifecycle model, and a practical Responsible AI Canvas tool. Together, these elements help Public Service Bodies to assess the appropriateness of AI use cases, manage risks, and embed good governance throughout the AI project lifecycle.
To build capability and ensure consistent understanding and application of these standards, my Department has worked with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) to develop a suite of training courses, including Implementing the AI Guidelines, AI Essentials, and an AI Masterclass. These courses are designed to meet the needs of both technical and non-technical staff.
In addition, CeADAR, Ireland’s Centre for Applied AI, acts as the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) for AI, providing advice, testing facilities and technical support to both Public Service Bodies and enterprises seeking to explore or adopt AI responsibly.
Through these combined measures, my Department is ensuring a consistent, transparent and supportive approach to AI adoption across the Public Service, enabling innovation while maintaining public trust and ethical standards.
In developing Ireland’s approach to Public Service AI, my Department has drawn extensively on international best practice and benchmarking of initiatives in other jurisdictions. The Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service were informed by the Ethical Guidelines for Trustworthy AI published by the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on AI (2019), which established the seven principles for responsible AI.
The Guidelines are also aligned with the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), adopting a risk-based approach that distinguishes between minimal, limited, and high-risk AI systems, and emphasises proportional governance and oversight in Public Service use cases.
Furthermore, reference is made to the OECD’s classification of Public Sector AI opportunities, which identifies potential applications across a range of government functions, including automation of administrative tasks, predictive analytics, and enhanced information management. This framework, highlighted in the Guidelines, supports a structured understanding of where AI can deliver most public value.
The Guidelines also incorporate international examples of AI deployment in public administration, including use in:
Internal operations (e.g. automating document management and translation);
Service delivery (e.g. intelligent chatbots for citizen engagement);
Internal and external oversight (e.g. anomaly detection for compliance or data protection monitoring); and
Policy-making (e.g. use of AI for data analysis and evidence generation).
Lessons from these international cases have informed the measured and responsible approach to be adopted in relation to AI, as set out in the Guidelines. Whether for application in areas such as legal research, document summarisation, data breach identification, and high-volume disclosure, the Guidelines ensure that innovation in these domains is undertaken with a clear focus on transparency, reliability, and public benefit.
