Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
65. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reasons the proposed Oifig Intleachta Shaorga na hÉireann, or the AI Office of Ireland, has been placed under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13312/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has primary responsibility for advancing Ireland’s digital economy, fostering technological innovation across enterprise, skills and regulatory readiness, and representing Ireland's interests in EU digital policy, including the implementation of the EU AI Act.
My Department led on negotiation of the AI Act, and is now leading across Government on the national implementation of the AI Act. My officials are working closely with colleagues in other departments to devise the optimal configuration of national competent authorities for the Act to ensure comprehensive, robust and efficient implementation in Ireland.
Government agreed to adopt a distributed model of competent authorities, leveraging the State’s established sectoral regulatory authorities to carry out supervisory and enforcement roles for the purposes of the AI Act.
While the AI Act provides scope for national implementing measures to establish a regulatory regime to supervise and enforce the AI Act, there is an obligation all Member States to establish a Single Point of Contact for the purposes of the Regulation, in order to increase organisation efficiency on the side of Member States and to set a single point of contact vis-à-vis the public and other counterparts at Member State and Union levels.
To that end, the Government also agreed to establish a new statutory independent body – Oifig IS na hÉireann or the AI Office of Ireland - under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, to act as the Single Point of Contact and central coordinating authority for the implementation and enforcement of the EU AI Act in the State. In January 2026, Government approved the priority drafting of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, on the basis of the General Scheme prepared by my Department.
The Government recognises the importance of Ireland’s reputation as a trusted, agile, forward-looking Digital Regulatory Hub and of ensuring our regulators are independent and adequately resourced.
My Department is working with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel on the priority drafting of domestic legislation that will provide for the implementation and enforcement of the EU AI Act at national level, including the establishment of the AI Office as an independent statutory entity. The AI Office will be established with its own legal personality, an independent Board and a Chief Executive Officer both appointed through an open and transparent Public Appointments Service process.
The CEO will lead the Office in the carrying out and management of its functions, and report to an independent Board that provides governance and oversight.
The Office will be required to prepare a statement of strategy, annual work programmes and annual reports. Its accounts will be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General with the CEO accountable to the Public Accounts Committee and other Oireachtas Committees as required.
The statutory status and governance structure of the AI Office of Ireland reflects that of established regulator bodies and is in line with the Government’s Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
While the AI Office will be the central coordinating authority for the regulation of AI in Ireland, our distributed sectoral model leverages the apparatus, resources and expertise across a number of competent authorities, many of whom are established, experienced independent regulators of scale.
My Department, through the National AI Office Unit are currently acting as the Single Point of Contact to ensure Ireland meets its legal obligations and will continue to perform this this role on an administrative basis, pending the formal establishment of the statutory office by 2 August 2026.
This transitional period has allowed us build robust foundations – including securing €1.5 million in start-up funding through Budget 2026, scoping the Office’s initial structure and functions, and prioritising legislative drafting with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel – with enactment targeted ahead of the August 2026 deadline for full operationalisation of competent authorities under the AI Act.
My Department’s has a proven track record in successfully establishing independent agencies in areas such as consumer protection and digital policy, with strong governance, clear accountability and the capacity to scale effectively as their governance roles evolve.
The independence of the AI Office of Ireland, at the centre of Ireland's established sectoral regulatory model, will ensure a consistent and high level of protection of health, safety, fundamental rights as set out by the EU AI Act to promote the uptake of human centric and trustworthy AI.
