Artificial Intelligence Resources
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From: Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
- Published on: 7 May 2025
- Last updated on: 12 May 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology which is changing many of the ways we live, work and engage with the world around us. AI has the potential to transform how the public service works, develops and delivers policy and services, and addresses challenges we face as a country.
Government’s public service transformation strategy, Better Public Services, commits to delivering digitally enabled services and functions, using technology to tackle big societal issues and drive change, and achieve seamless and inclusive user experiences.
Government recognises the important role AI will have in achieving these aims and has developed Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service to support the impactful, responsible use of AI.
Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI
The Guidelines are designed to actively empower Public Servants to use AI in the delivery of improved services. By firmly placing the human in the process, they aim to enhance public trust in how Government uses AI.
The Guidelines are informed by the Seven Principles for Responsible AI namely:
- Human agency and oversight
- Technical robustness and safety
- Privacy and data governance
- Transparency
- Diversity, non-discrimination and fairness
- Societal and environmental well-being
- Accountability
Resources
A range of resources and practical tools designed to support the adoption of AI in the Public Service have been developed, including clear information on Government’s Principles for Responsible AI, a Decision Framework for evaluating the potential use of AI, a Responsible AI Canvas Tool to be used at planning stage, and the AI Lifecycle Guidance tool to support users from development to deployment, and when considering to review or decommission a project.
Learning and Development
Public Service organisations can also avail of learning and development materials and courses for public servants. The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) has provided a tutorial (below) and bespoke training dedicated to the AI Guidelines to assist participants in applying the guidelines in their own workplaces. Visit the IPA website to find out more about AI training opportunities.
Additional support through CeADAR
CeADAR is Ireland’s Centre for AI and the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) for AI in Ireland. It is funded by Enterprise Ireland and the IDA with the aim of assisting businesses and public service organisations in Ireland to understand, adopt and leverage the benefits and value of AI. It supports businesses and organisations in exploring, experimenting with, and integrating AI into products, services, and operations. The national centre also leads and collaborates on EU-funded projects and initiatives that enhance strategic AI capabilities across the continent.
Beyond this, CeADAR incubates AI start-ups, helping transform ideas into market-ready innovations. By bridging the gap between research and real-world application, it delivers high-impact prototyping, collaborative projects, and expert guidance, while contributing to national and and EU policy development, skills training, and innovation funding to keep Ireland at the forefront of applied trustworthy AI.
Further information is available at the CeADAR website.
Networks
To sign up for updates in relation to public service transformation, you can apply to join the Transformation Network.