Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2026
2086. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an overview of the AI policy in place within his Department; if AI has been incorporated into any work streams; if AI is ever used in reply to parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58668/26]
View answerUse of artificial intelligence (AI) in my Department is governed by the national and EU public service strategies and guidelines including the National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland – Connecting our People Securing our Future and the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service.
An interim Artificial Intelligence Policy on the use of AI in my Department is currently being developed, which will incorporate the principles set out in the relevant National and EU AI strategies.
My Department has established an Innovation Hub to assess and evaluate the potential future use of AI technologies to support the work of the Department in a safe and secure manner.
An AI Chatbot on the MyGovID platform is currently in use, providing real-time advice to customers on how best to use the MyGovID service.
As part of an internal review of Microsoft Office services in the Department, a small number of users are piloting an upgrade, which includes limited integration of AI tools within the suite as standard. A small-scale trial is underway focusing on using AI for general knowledge tasks, such as summarising content and searching for information, but not for drafting official documents, or parliamentary questions.
All outputs are subject to human oversight and are reviewed and validated by the relevant officers before use.
