A national competent authority has not been formally designated and work is ongoing to fulfil the requirements of the Interoperable Europe Act. Careful consideration is being given to the integration of the Regulation in a way that complements national processes and structures within Ireland’s broader digital and data ecosystem. This is a complex and evolving area, and it is important that the structures established under the Act are fully aligned with national policies, governance arrangements and operational realities, in order to deliver effectively on the digital transition.
Implementation of the Act is being progressed in parallel with a number of significant and interrelated national initiatives.
In November 2025, I launched the Digital Public Services Plan 2030, which sets out Ireland’s roadmap to fully digitalise key public services by 2030, ensuring that 100% of these services are available online and 90% of applicable services are accessed digitally. This involves the digitalisation of the majority of public services including, for example, applying for social housing, obtaining a marriage certificate or registering for key welfare supports, such as the working family payment. My department oversees and monitors implementation of the Digital Public Services Plan through central governance arrangements, performance reporting by Departments and agencies, and ongoing engagement to track progress, manage risks and support delivery. Aligned with this Plan, my Department is delivering critical features of the digital public service infrastructure to improve the quality of digital systems underpinning key public services.
In February 2026, the Department of the Taoiseach published the Digital Ireland strategy, which aims to ensure Ireland remains a digital leader in an increasingly competitive global environment. Underpinned by inclusion and accessibility, its implementation harnesses digital and AI opportunities to deliver effective and modern public services, and to empower our people to thrive in a digital society.
Later this year, my department will publish the Public Service Data Strategy 2030 to deliver a modern public service data ecosystem where high quality public administrative data is routinely used for policy and service planning and delivery for Better Public Services outcomes.
Combined, these initiatives are central to supporting digital-first public services, promoting secure and effective data sharing, and ensuring that public sector digital systems can operate and connect with one another across organisational and functional boundaries.
In this context, the approach being taken is to ensure that the requirements of the Interoperable Europe Act complement and reinforce these national programmes, rather than creating duplication or fragmentation. This will help to ensure that interoperability is addressed across technical, legal, organisational and semantic dimensions, and that Ireland is well positioned to realise the benefits intended by the Regulation in terms of improved service delivery, better use of data for policy-making, and enhanced efficiency across the public service.
