Ireland has marked a significant milestone in the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, positioning itself at the forefront of responsible AI regulation in Europe. On 16 September 2025, the Department for of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment announced the designation of additional national competent authorities and a single central coordinating authority tasked with enforcing the AI Act – making Ireland one of the first six EU Member States to reach this critical stage.

As pressure from technology industry groups in Ireland to simplify the complex regulatory landscape increases, this development reflects Ireland’s commitment to balancing innovation with robust safeguards, with Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke stating that: “Ireland is building a future where AI is transformative, trusted, and transparent. We’re balancing innovation with safeguards -ensuring AI works for people, not against them.”

A Distributed Model for AI Oversight

Article 70 of the AI Act requires each EU Member State to establish or designate at least one notifying authority and one market surveillance authority for AI oversight. Ireland has adopted a distributed regulatory model, designating fifteen regulatory bodies as competent authorities under Article 70, with a designated central authority to provide coordination and a number of centralised functions. The competent authorities will be responsible for supervising the implementation of the AI Act within their respective areas of regulatory remit. They must function independently, impartially and without bias. The competent authorities must also have adequate technical, financial and human resources, as well as the infrastructure to effectively execute their tasks under the AI Act.

Eight competent authorities were initially designated on 5 March 2025:

  • 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
  • Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport

On 16 September 2025, seven additional bodies were designated:

  • Coimisiún na Meán (the Irish media regulator)
  • Commission for Regulation of Utilities
  • Health Services Executive
  • Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment
  • Minister for Transport 
  • National Transport Authority
  • Workplace Relations Commission

Together the fifteen competent authorities will make up the National AI Implementation Committee which met for the first time on 16 September 2025.

Ireland’s distributed approach is designed to ensure specialized oversight across a wide range of industries in which AI systems operate, including the media, transport, healthcare, employment, and financial services.

A New National AI Office

To ensure consistent and effective implementation of the AI Act, Ireland will establish a new body, Oifig Náisiúnta na hIntleachta Saorga, or the National AI Office, by 2 August 2026.

Once established, Oifig Náisiúnta na hIntleachta Saorga will assume four critical functions:

  • coordinate activities of the competent authorities to ensure consistent implementation of the EU AI Act;
  • serve as the EU AI Act’s Single Point of Contact;
  • facilitate centralised access to technical expertise by the other competent authorities; and
  • drive AI innovation and adoption through the hosting of a regulatory sandbox.

In the meantime, an interim Single Point of Contact has been appointed within the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to facilitate coordination between the various Irish regulators as well as serving as an interface with the public, the European Commission, and relevant stakeholders.

Ireland’s Global Positioning

The deadline for Member States to appoint competent authorities was 2 August 2025. While the European Commission has not yet released a comprehensive list of designated authorities for each Member States, it has published a list of the Single Points of Contact in each Member State. To date, Ireland is one of only seven of the 27 Member States (along with Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain) which has established a Single Point of Contact. Despite political pressure, the European Commission has indicated that the digital simplification package, expected in December, will not entail a complete overhaul of the AI Act. It is likely that Single Points of Contact will be established in other Member States in the meantime.

Legal Implications and Opportunities

For legal practitioners and businesses operating in Ireland, the Government’s announcement signals a new era of regulatory clarity and opportunity. The distributed model offers sector-specific oversight, while the centralised governance ensures uniform interpretation of the AI Act. Organisations developing or deploying high-risk AI systems should begin preparing for engagement with their relevant Competent Authority.