The Irish Government has published “Digital Ireland: Connecting our People, Securing our Future.”

This is its updated National Digital and AI Strategy, setting out 20 high-level objectives supported by 90 specific deliverables across seven policy areas: public services, enterprise, digital and AI infrastructure, cyber security, digital regulation, online safety, and skills and talent. The strategy is structured around five strategic ambitions: Apply, Grow, Invest, Lead, and Empower, and will be implemented on a cross-government basis from the Department of the Taoiseach. This article summarises the key elements of the strategy and their implications for businesses operating in or from Ireland.

AI Office of Ireland and the EU AI Act

The strategy confirms the establishment of a new AI Office of Ireland (Oifig IS na hÉireann), which will serve as the central coordinating authority for the EU AI Act. The AI Office will perform four functions: coordinating the activities of Ireland’s designated competent authorities to ensure consistent implementation; serving as the single point of contact for EU AI Act matters; facilitating centralised access to technical expertise; and driving AI innovation and adoption.

The AI Office will also host a new AI Regulatory Sandbox, with a specific focus on helping startups and SMEs navigate EU AI Act compliance. Companies developing AI systems intended for the European market should closely monitor the establishment of this sandbox, as it will allow AI systems to be tested under structured regulatory conditions before full market deployment.

The strategy further commits Ireland to engaging with the European Commission on additions to the list of prohibited practices under Article 5 of the EU AI Act, reflecting a recognition that the Act must evolve in response to rapidly advancing AI capabilities. Ireland will also pursue the EU’s digital simplification agenda through its membership of the D9+ group of advanced digital Member States, advocating for balanced, coherent and future- proofed regulatory frameworks.

Enterprise and AI Adoption

The enterprise provisions represent the most commercially significant element of the strategy. The Government will publish a new sectoral AI Adoption Strategy in 2026, with ambitious sectoral targets for AI uptake and defined milestones for delivery. Enterprise Ireland will develop a differentiated AI Adoption Roadmap for its client companies, organised by sector, and will appoint AI Sector Champions to promote adoption.

A new Observatory for Business AI Readiness (OBAIR) will develop intelligence on enterprise AI use in Ireland and track adoption metrics in real time. An AI and digital awareness and literacy campaign will target SMEs specifically.

CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for applied AI, will be expanded. The strategy also commits to establishing an AI Research Centre of Scale, progressing access to advanced compute capacity, launching an AI in Research transformation programme, and establishing a Quantum Centre of Excellence. These measures are designed to deepen the innovation ecosystem around the major AI model providers and global technology companies that have established their European headquarters in Ireland.

An International AI and Digital Summit will be hosted during Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the EU, positioning Ireland as both a digital regulatory hub and an applied AI innovation centre.

Digital and AI Infrastructure

The infrastructure commitments include completing the National Broadband Plan by the end of 2026, providing gigabit broadband connectivity to every premises by 2028, and creating new subsea cable routes from Ireland to continental Europe by 2030. For companies operating data centres and cloud infrastructure in Ireland, the subsea cable commitment addresses both latency and resilience concerns associated with existing connectivity routes.

The CASPIr supercomputer, capable of exceeding 15 petaflops, is scheduled to enter service in 2027. This will be complemented by Ireland’s AI Factory Antenna, which will form part of a new national strategy for advanced computing infrastructure and services. Businesses and research institutions will have access to sovereign high-performance computing capacity for the first time.

Cyber Security

A new Cyber Security Strategy will be published in 2026, accompanied by additional capacity for the National Cyber Security Centre and the establishment of a Cyber Security Research Centre of Excellence. The strategy prioritises implementing the EU NIS2 Directive through legislation and preparing for the EU Cyber Resilience Act. A National AI Cyber Risk Assessment will be conducted, with updated guidance for secure AI deployment in the

public sector. Targeted grant funding will be made available to support compliance with NIS2 obligations.

Public Services and Procurement

The strategy sets a target of 100% digitalisation of key public services by 2030, with 90% consumed online. A Life Events approach will reorient service design around key moments in citizens’ lives. A new AI Advisory Unit will be established for the public service, alongside a National AI Fellowship programme embedding AI expertise across government. All public servants will be supported to undertake AI training.

In healthcare, a dedicated AI for Care Strategy will be developed. The strategy commits to a national electronic prescribing service by 2028 and the digitisation of Irish healthcare records and information systems by 2032. These commitments will generate significant procurement opportunities for technology providers, systems integrators, and advisory firms operating in the Irish public sector market.

Online Safety and Skills

Online safety provisions include engagement with EU Member States on age restrictions for social media use by under-16s and a commitment to ensuring the EU’s online safety framework keeps pace with AI-driven risks, including through advocacy on the Article 5 prohibited practices list.

On skills, the strategy establishes a National Skills Observatory, a one-stop-shop AI Skilling Platform, a nationwide digital and AI skilling campaign, and a new Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future.

Comment

The strategy is notable for its operational specificity and for the decision to drive implementation from the Department of the Taoiseach. Businesses should pay particular attention to the AI Regulatory Sandbox, the sectoral AI Adoption Strategy, and the healthcare digitisation commitments, each of which will create concrete regulatory, commercial, and procurement implications over the coming years.