Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
191. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to consider the development of region-specific labour market monitoring, including Cork county, as part of a labour market tracking mechanism to identify emerging risks by AI in real time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45646/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is continuously monitoring the labour market and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has grown immeasurably in importance over the last number of years and we have published important work in this area.
For example, research from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) published last year – titled ‘How AI is transforming the Irish Labour Market’. This work highlights the speed at which Ireland is moving in relation to AI, noting both the strong demand for AI jobs but also a robust supply pipeline in relation to AI.
Ireland has seen a doubling in AI jobs and usage since 2023. While this is a fast-changing field – it shows the inherent dynamism and resilience of the Irish labour market, and this bodes well for productivity, growth and incomes. That is not to say there are no risks and work also published in conjunction with the Department of Finance highlights that the labour market is highly exposed to AI given the composition of employment, specifically in relation ICT, financial and professional services. The work also noted that AI may already be affecting employment patterns, with sectors more exposed to AI such as ICT and financial services recording significantly weaker employment growth in recent years.
We will continue to closely monitor AI related developments through research and day-to-day work.
In respect of county level or regional implications, we are closely watching Central Statistics Office (CSO) data on the labour market. I took close note of the first quarter labour force survey results. While job gains over the year to Q1 to 2026 were broadly flat, we are still at a very high level of employment at 2.8 million persons. The extent to which the recent slowdown in hiring is due to AI is as yet unclear.
In terms of the regional employment performance. The CSO numbers show that numbers at work in the South-West region increased by 2.2% in the year to Q1 2026 – ahead of the national average. In total, employment in the South-West increased by 8,800 jobs to reach 412,700, a strong performance.
I would also point to several projects underway within my department that will be informative in this regard.
The EGFSN is funding or co-funding AI related work, including a project on ‘Skills for Digital Specialists 2030’. I expect that this report will be published in the second half of this year and this will identify skills needs and gaps for ICT/digital specialists, including AI.
The EGFSN is also co-funding a new ‘Working in Ireland Survey’ on the Irish labour market being done by UCD. Research from this extensive, all-island study will be available in 2026 and will include work on AI and the labour market.
My department also has a working relationship with the OECD on AI related research, and I expect this will continue this year.
