Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
80. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures being put in place to help businesses, particularly SMEs, identify their supervisory authority under the distributed regulatory model in the general scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13253/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the EU AI Act entered into force in August 2024 and provides a harmonised regulatory framework for AI systems developed or deployed in the EU. It is designed to provide a high level of protection to people’s health, safety, and fundamental rights and to simultaneously promote the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI.
Ireland has adopted a distributed sectoral model of regulation to meet our obligations under the EU AI Act. This model leverages the capabilities and expertise of existing regulators across certain sectors and products, including finance, health, transport and public services, reflecting the horizontal nature and potential uses of AI systems as called out by the AI Act.
The Government recognises that with a distributed model comes the need for governance, co-ordination and oversight to ensure coherence and effective implementation of the Act.
To that end, 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 of Ireland as an independent statutory entity.
The AI Office will be at the centre of this sectoral model of regulation:
• providing strategic governance and facilitating efficient, consistent and coordinated interpretation and implementation of the AI Act in cooperation with across our national competent authorities;
• acting as the Single Point of Contact for the EU Commission, national competent authorities and for the public;
• hosting a centralised pool of technical expertise to support all competent authorities;
• ensuring the establishment of an AI Regulatory Sandbox, initially focused on regulatory guidance; and
• promoting strategic and safe AI innovation and adoption across the economy and society.
A number of measures have been taken and more are planned, to raise awareness among businesses, and in particular SMEs, of the AI Act and the national implementation. These measures aim to help businesses understand what AI regulation will mean for them and how they can prepare to benefit from the responsible uptake of trustworthy AI.
At an EU level, the European Commission has established the ‘Single Information Platform’ for the AI Act, providing online interactive tools to help stakeholders determine whether they are subject to legal obligations and understand the steps they need to take to comply.
My Department has established Ireland’s ‘Single Point of Contact’ for the AI Act and, on an interim basis until the AI Office of Ireland is established, provides a facility to service queries that businesses, regulators and the public might have regarding the regulation of AI in Ireland and the AI Act in general. Further details about the Single Point of Contact are available on my Department’s website on the EU AI Act information page.
Furthermore, in consultation and collaboration with other stakeholders in the enterprise and AI ecosystem, my Department is also developing a national communications campaign to raise awareness, build confidence, and drive practical adoption of AI among Irish businesses by positioning AI as an accessible, trusted, and growth-innovation tool for digital transformation.
A key output of this campaign will be to develop clear and concise guidance material to help businesses identify the different roles and responsibilities of national competent authorities within each sector involved in the regulation of AI in Ireland.
This builds on the significant level of communication activities and events, in terms of public and private sector engagement and events, that is already carried out by officials in my Department, its agencies and associated bodies such as the European Digital Innovation Hubs, the Enterprise Digital Advisory Form and the AI Advisory Counsel.
By August of this year, the AI Office of Ireland will also ensure the establishment of a national AI Regulatory Sandbox which aims to enhance businesses understanding of the applicability of AI regulations to their enterprises and help them liaise with sector specific authorities where appropriate.
In addition to these centralised measures and under the leadership of my Department, individual competent authorities have been preparing, as part of the National Committee for the implementation of the AI Act, for their roles under the Act. It is envisaged that these authorities, which many businesses will already be familiar with, will also promote the obligations and relevance of AI regulation within the context of their specific sectors.
The AI Office of Ireland will reinforce Ireland’s reputation as a forward-thinking digital economy committed to responsible AI development and governance. A sectoral model of enforcement for the EU AI Act, with the AI Office of Ireland at the centre, will provide the regulatory and legal certainty needed to develop, deploy, and use AI technologies with confidence.
