Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
199. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the engagement between his Department and large employers on the issue of the way in which AI will affect jobs in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30412/26]
View answerMy Department has a number of fora where the current and potential impacts of AI are discussed with businesses and other experts and the insights gained from this inform the policymaking process for AI. In addition, the Department also gets valuable insights through agencies such as Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.
In February, the Government published the new National AI & Digital Strategy, Digital Ireland - Connecting our People, Securing our Future. The Strategy sets out a clear roadmap to accelerate digital and AI adoption across Irish enterprise, with a particular focus on SMEs. Targeted stakeholder engagement with representative bodies was undertaken during the development of the Strategy to ensure that the perspectives of business were taken into consideration.
While Artificial intelligence will generate significant opportunities, it is also a disruptive technology which poses risks of job displacement. As a result, the development of new skills and capacities within the workforce will be essential, given the likelihood that new types of roles will emerge.
This is precisely why the new National Digital & AI Strategy Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future, commits to supporting workers in managing the impacts of potential job displacement by ensuring access to agile, fit-for-purpose and high-quality upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
Recent research from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, reports that AI adoption in Ireland is accelerating, with demand for AI roles and usage doubling since 2023, highlighting strong labour-market dynamism. This shows the inherent dynamism and resilience of the Irish labour market and this bodes well for productivity, growth and incomes.
My Department is closely monitoring the impact of AI on the labour market and several projects are underway. This includes a project on ‘Skills for Digital Specialists 2030’ which will identify skills needs and gaps for ICT/digital specialists, including AI.
We are also co-funding a new ‘Working in Ireland Survey’ on the Irish labour market by UCD. Research from this extensive, all-island study will be available later this year and will include work on AI and the labour market. My Department also has an ongoing working relationship with the OECD on AI related research.
Stakeholder engagements provide insights from employers which are channelled through existing enterprise-led research and advisory mechanisms, including the work of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which draws on employer input to assess how emerging technologies, including AI, are affecting roles, skills requirements and job design across the economy.
Finally, while the pace of job creation within Ireland has slowed in recent months, much of this was anticipated, reflecting global headwinds and capacity constraints. That said, employment numbers from the latest CSO Labour Force Survey (LFS) were strong with a record number of people at work in our economy, with total employment at 2.83 million. Furthermore, our economy is continuing to add and create jobs at a healthy, albeit slowing rate.
