Barry Ward
Ceist:355. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline the work ongoing to put in place to establish a national, Government-wide policy on artificial intelligence. [68188/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 29 September 2026
Ceisteanna (355)
Freagraí scríofa
Government published the new National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland: Connecting our People, Securing our Future, in February 2026. The Strategy sets out a clear and ambitious roadmap for strengthening Ireland's digital and AI capabilities in the years ahead, underpinning digital competitiveness as a foundation for economic resilience.
The Strategy takes a whole-of-Government approach to advance Ireland’s digital and AI ambitions, spanning public services, digital infrastructure, enterprise adoption, skills development and robust digital regulation. It contains 20 high-level objectives and 90 specific deliverables, reflecting the breadth of our ambition and the shared responsibility across Government to deliver it.
Central to our ambition is to champion AI as a strategic transformative technology, supporting Ireland’s commitment to harness AI for economic and societal benefit. My Department's focus in Digital Ireland is to:-
• Fast-track AI adoption across the enterprise base, to boost productivity and competitiveness.
• Position Ireland as a location of choice for AI and Digital startups, and a global hub for applied AI innovation.
• Strengthen Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for global technology businesses.
Recognising that AI adoption pathways differ across sectors, we are developing a sector-specific AI adoption strategy for enterprise, initially focused on manufacturing, ICT services, tourism and construction, which together represent a significant share of Ireland’s businesses and employment. Enterprise Ireland is also appointing AI Sector Champions to highlight AI opportunities in various sectors and is also developing AI adoption roadmaps for its client companies.
The recently established Oifig IS na hÉireann (the AI Office of Ireland) which was established on 31st July 2026 is a major milestone. The Office will promote safe AI adoption, support innovation, and provide regulatory clarity for enterprises through implementation of the EU AI Act, along with overseeing the development of an AI regulatory sandbox.
Implementation of Digital Ireland is being driven from the centre of Government by the Department of the Taoiseach. Successful implementation and delivery will be informed by regular engagement with stakeholders, across all pillars of the Strategy.