Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 June 2026
67. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline Ireland's position regarding Irish and EU artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46392/26]
View answerAt European level, efforts to strengthen AI capability and digital sovereignty are focused on a small number of high-impact measures. In that context, the EU Tech Sovereignty package, published on 3 June 2026, is particularly significant and includes two key proposals:
• A Cloud and AI Development Act to accelerate the build-out of Europe’s AI and cloud infrastructure, including data centre deployment, supporting AI innovation and adoption.
• A Chips Act 2 to strengthen the European semiconductor ecosystem and secure the EU’s supply of chips, ensuring reliable support for AI development and deployment.
At the national level, Ireland’s National Digital & AI Strategy, Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future, sets out the Government’s ambition to 2030. This strategy positions Ireland to strengthen our position as a digital leader and a global hub for applied AI innovation, building on our strengths — a well-established reputation as a digital hub, a highly skilled talent base and a vibrant innovation ecosystem.
With many global tech companies located in Ireland, we are very conscious of the high degree of interdependence across digital technologies, and of the importance of international collaboration. In addition, as highlighted in Silicon Island: Ireland’s National Semiconductor Strategy, the global nature of semiconductor supply chains—combined with Ireland’s open economy—makes international engagement essential for sectoral growth.
Ireland supports efforts to increase resilience and decrease dependencies in critical digital value chains. However, we are clear that this must be done in a way that supports European innovation while maintaining access to critical markets, ensuring interoperability, and sustaining international collaboration with like-minded global partners.
Ireland welcomes the European Commission’s Tech sovereignty package as an important step towards strengthening Europe’s digital infrastructure and capabilities.
