Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
168. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the practical governance tools his Department intends to make available to assist SMEs in meeting their obligations under the EU AI Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30434/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraA wide range of supports are available to help businesses, particularly SMEs, in their digital and AI journey. These range from grant funding, tailored consultancy and advice to hands-on support from Ireland's four European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs).
My Department is investing in AI Act compliance readiness across industry, with a strong focus on SMEs. In collaboration with CeADAR, Ireland’s National Centre for AI, we developed a free online training course – “AI for You: Introduction to AI and the EU AI Act” – to help businesses understand what AI is, and what the Act means for them.
We also engage regularly with providers and deployers of AI through industry events, meetings with companies and representative bodies, and through guidance and tools available on the Department’s website. There is also a further compliance resource available through the EU AI Act Service Desk's Compliance Checker.
These measures are aimed at both raising awareness of upcoming regulatory obligations and ensuring our enterprises can move quickly to align with the new framework, thereby reducing friction and cost when the Act is fully applicable.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department leads national implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) which came into force on 02 August 2024.
The Department has made strong progress on implementation, adopting a distributed model, allowing businesses to work with regulators who understand their sectors, making compliance more practical and effective. The provisions of the AI Act will apply progressively, with a full roll-out by 2 August 2027.
The AI Act offers us a balanced approach – one that supports innovation while establishing clear guardrails for high-risk applications. The government is fully committed to the comprehensive implementation of this landmark legislation which will provide clarity and certainty for businesses and help guide businesses develop adequate AI governance framework.
Budget 2026 secured €1.5 million in start-up funding to establish the AI Office of Ireland by August 2026. This Office will be the central coordinating authority for the EU AI Act, promoting transparent and safe AI adoption to help Ireland remain a trusted and competitive place to do business.
The Office will also oversee a national AI regulatory sandbox, providing a supervised environment, balancing innovation with oversight, so that innovators can test solutions with compliance experts before market deployment. This oversight will help ensure that AI systems comply with EU rules, especially those related to fundamental rights, health, safety, and risk mitigation.
Ireland’s approach to AI governance mirrors global best practice, positioning itself as a place which encourages innovation while embedding strong oversight.
