On 18 February 2026, the Irish Government published its updated National Digital & AI Strategy - Digital Ireland: Connecting Our People, Securing Our Future (Strategy Report).

The Strategy Report sets out the State’s vision for sustaining its position as a leading digital nation to 2030, covering themes such as AI opportunities and risks, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, digital public services, regulatory leadership, and online safety and digital skills.

Importantly, the Strategy Report offers the strongest indication yet of how Ireland intends to handle age restrictions and potential age bans on social media. Despite heightened media speculation ahead of its release, the Government has not proposed a national ban. Instead, it outlines a balanced, EU‑aligned approach focused on cooperation with other Member States, evidence gathering, and the development of supporting digital infrastructure, rather than unilateral domestic action.

For those operating digital services, the key takeaways from the Strategy Report are:

Key Point on Age Assurance from Strategy Report

1. Ireland will not implement a national age ban - for now

Overview and Analysis:

  • The Strategy Report highlights the Government’s commitment to working with “like-minded Member States” to explore options for introducing age restrictions on social media use, with a particular focus on users under 16. Crucially, the report does not establish or commit Ireland to any age ban at this stage; it merely sets out an intention to consider potential approaches in collaboration with EU partners.
  • The Government also states that the “digital age of majority” should ideally be defined at the EU level to ensure consistency and avoid fragmentation. However, it adds that Ireland may take domestic action “if necessary,” though the report does not specify what scenarios would trigger this. This ambiguity suggests the Government is keeping domestic options open as a backstop, should EU negotiations fail.
  • The Government also commits to considering the findings of the European Commission’s forthcoming expert panel before taking further steps. We expect that this panel’s report will provide early indicators of the potential direction of age verification policy across the EU.

Relevance to those operating digital services - key takeaway

  • Ireland prefers a pan-EU solution to age restrictions and age assurance and has not introduced a national age ban.
  • This is positive for businesses, as regulatory fragmentation is avoided for now, though the Government has left open a (vague) possibility of domestic action if EU consensus is not reached.

2. Ireland is preparing infrastructure that could support future age verification

Overview and Analysis:

  • The Government also commits to supporting work on age verification solutions, both through cooperation with EU Member States and through the implementation of Ireland’s forthcoming Government Digital Wallet, aligned with the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) framework.
  • Ireland’s Digital Wallet app will securely store digital versions of official documents such as driving licences, birth certificates, and Public Services Cards. While a pilot has already been tested among public servants, the public rollout is scheduled for this year. The strategy report provides no further detail on how the wallet may be used for age verification, leaving its potential role somewhat unclear. However, the Strategy Report commits to supporting robust age verification that protects users’ rights, including privacy, thereby enhancing online safety.

Relevance to those operating digital services - key takeaway

  • Ireland is preparing infrastructure (including a national Digital Wallet) that could support future age verification mechanisms, though the specifics remain undefined.
  • Those operating digital services should monitor developments, but do not need to take immediate action

3. Online safety remains a core priority for the Irish Government

Overview and Analysis:

  • The Strategy Report highlights that online safety continues to be a major priority for the Irish Government, aligning with a broader trend at national, EU, and global levels.
  • This builds on multiple regulatory developments we have seen over the last year, including the European Commission’s Child Online Safety Guidelines, the EDPB’s evolving position on age assurance, and the Global Online Safety Regulators Network’s joint statement on “Age Assurance & Online Safety Regulation”, each of which we previously reported on here, here and here.
  • The Strategy Report’s explicit focus on strengthening online safety reinforces this trajectory and reiterates that safeguarding vulnerable groups (especially children and young people) will remain central to the Government’s digital policy direction.
  • The Government also reaffirms its commitment to adequately resourcing regulators, particularly Coimisiún na Meán, to ensure effective implementation of Ireland’s online safety code.

Relevance to those operating digital services - key takeaway

  • Online safety will remain a regulatory priority, and enforcement is likely to intensify.
  • Those operating digital services should continue to treat online safety compliance as a high-priority workstream, given the strong and growing scrutiny across the EU and internationally.

4. Ireland’s 2026 EU Council Presidency will push the age assurance agenda

Overview and Analysis:

  • Ireland has indicated that online safety will be a priority theme during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. As a result, the strategic direction outlined in this Strategy Report is likely to influence Ireland’s EU-level agenda, with online safety and age assurance policy featuring prominently.
  • A particular area of focus will be advancing the EU’s online safety framework, including engagement with Member States on the ongoing review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The European Commission launched a public consultation on potential revisions to the AVMSD on 10 February 2026 to ensure audiovisual rules remain fit for a rapidly evolving digital environment. That consultation remains open until 1 May 2026.

Relevance to those operating digital services - key takeaway

  • Ireland’s EU Presidency will likely amplify the themes of this strategy, especially online safety and age assurance.
  • Those operating digital services should expect renewed EU-level activity in this area during 2026, along with potential shifts in regulatory expectations, particularly as Ireland places online safety high on its agenda during its Council Presidency. From what we have observed so far, many EU Member States (including Ireland) are not moving toward outright national bans but instead are applying political pressure domestically in hopes of prompting EU-wide action.

This overview provides a clear and accurate picture of Ireland’s current position to organisations operating in online and digital services. At this stage, the Strategy Report represents the Government’s intended direction of travel on age assurance and online safety rather than a concrete plan of specific measures.