Government approves implementation of EU AI Act

In March 2025, the Government adopted a distributed model of implementation of the EU AI Act.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment states that this approach to implementation of the Act will “build on the deep knowledge and expertise of the established sectoral regulators”.

The Government has approved the designation of an initial list of eight public bodies as ‘competent authorities’, responsible for implementing and enforcing the Act within their respective sectors. These authorities are:

• Central Bank of Ireland;
• Commission for Communications Regulation;
• Commission for Railway Regulation;
• Competition and Consumer Protection Commission;
• Data Protection Commission;
• Health and Safety Authority;
• Health Products Regulatory Authority; and
• Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport.

Additional authorities, and a lead regulator tasked with coordinating enforcement of the Act and providing additional centralised functions, will be designated by a future government decision to ensure comprehensive implementation of the Act.

The EU AI Act aims 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. The Act entered into force in August 2024 and its provisions apply in a phased manner over the period to August 2027.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD says: “AI presents Ireland with a strategic opportunity; it holds the prospect of major benefits for our economy and for our society. For business it can boost productivity, spur innovation, and deliver better customer services; for the public it can provide enhanced public services; and for society, accelerated advances in science and medicine. It is a priority for me to ensure that we capture these benefits.

“However, to capture these benefits, we must build trust in AI systems. For this reason, the landmark EU AI Act, the first in the world comprehensive regulation establishing guardrails for the safe and ethical use of AI, is a strategically important regulation for Ireland, as well as the EU. I am committed to an efficient and well-resourced implementation of the Act in Ireland, in a manner that provides the necessary safeguards, while spurring innovation for the benefit of our economy and our society.”

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth TD says: “The decision by Government to use the existing national framework of well-established sectoral authorities for enforcement of the EU AI Act will make compliance with the AI Act easier for businesses. It is also an important step towards the commitment in the Programme for Government to make Ireland an EU centre of expertise for digital and data regulation for companies operating across the EU Digital Single Market. Providing an efficient, comprehensive, fair and transparent implementation of the Act in Ireland will enhance Ireland’s reputation for quality regulation and its competitiveness for attracting further investment in this burgeoning technology.”