Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment published the General Scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 in February 2026. The bill establishes a National AI Office (Oifig Intleachta Shaorga na hÉireann) by 2 August 2026 to serve as the State’s single point of contact for EU AI Act implementation and to host a national innovation sandbox. Ireland adopts a distributed enforcement model, designating 15 specialised sectoral authorities as competent bodies for different application domains.
The accompanying National Digital and AI Strategy establishes a National Skills Observatory, a one-stop-shop AI Skilling Platform, a nationwide digital and AI skilling campaign, and a Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future. A new AI Advisory Unit for the public service and a National AI Fellowship programme are also announced.
Who it affects: AI providers and deployers operating in Ireland; civil servants using AI; workers in sectors where AI is deployed.
What is notably missing: The National AI Office is designated as coordinator and single point of contact, not a full enforcement regulator; enforcement powers rest with the 15 sectoral authorities. The AI Skilling Platform and Advisory Unit are announced but not yet enacted as binding obligations on employers or educational institutions.