Executive Summary

This is a plain text version of the Executive Summary of the "Digital Ireland – Connecting our People, Securing our Future" report. Read the full report.

The Government recognises the importance of the digital economy, and the potential opportunities of AI in particular, and is committed to strengthening Ireland’s position as a digital leader.

This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which commits to fully realising the economic potential of the digital and AI revolution to deliver effective and modern public services, and to grow the economy.

The Government will enhance our strategic engagement at EU level, including through our membership of the D9+ group of advanced digital Member States, ensuring Ireland is a strong voice in Europe for well-designed digital regulation which supports competitiveness and innovation.

We will also continue to advocate for an ambitious and dynamic approach to digital simplification, supporting the EU’s strategic positioning as the location of choice for trustworthy digital innovation, while also protecting data privacy and fundamental rights of individuals.

With many of the global tech companies headquartered in Ireland, we are acutely aware of the inter-dependencies in digital technology. While we support efforts to increase resilience and decrease dependencies in critical digital value chains, we must pursue this in an open manner, maintaining access to critical markets, ensuring interoperability, and protecting international collaboration with likeminded global partners.

As part of Ireland’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the EU, we will host an International AI and Digital Summit to showcase Ireland as a digital and regulatory hub, as well as advancing a responsible and competitive AI ecosystem in Europe, reflecting our ambition to be at the forefront of digital innovation.

This updated National Digital & AI Strategy is structured across five strategic and mutually reinforcing ambitions – Apply, Grow, Invest, Lead, and Empower – reflecting the agile approach needed to succeed in a fast-evolving digital world.

The National Digital and AI Strategy will be operationalised across five strategic and mutually reinforcing ambitions:

• Apply AI and digital solutions to drive better public services, in an inclusive, human-centric, open and safe manner.
• Grow our digital economy, and our profile as a location for investment & Global Hub for Applied AI, to drive competitiveness.
• Invest in Ireland’s digital future, including building secure, resilient and future-proofed digital and AI infrastructure.
• Lead as a trusted, agile and forward-looking digital regulatory hub and centre of excellence, and through enhanced strategic engagement on the EU’s digital agenda.
• Empower our people, workers and businesses, through an inclusive approach, and with a priority on online safety, equipping our workforce with cutting-edge skills, and fostering societal trust and the digital & AI literacy needed to thrive in a digital society.

Together we’re shaping Ireland’s digital future – confident, connected, and inclusive.

90 supporting Deliverables, reflecting the breadth of activity right across Government to ensure we meet our digital and AI ambitions to 2030.

We will ensure progress across all areas of this Strategy in order to deliver on our overall vision of strengthening our position as a digital leader and AI hub, maximising the potential of digital and AI technologies as a driver of growth and empowering all of society to succeed in a digital era.

High-level objectives, and key deliverables under each area are outlined below, with the full list of deliverables outlined at Appendix II.

We will accelerate a transformational change in how we deliver public services, ensuring that by 2030, 100% of key public services are digitalised, with 90% consumed online. A Life Events approach will reorient service design around key moments in people’s lives, with inclusion and accessibility as guiding principles, ensuring no one is left behind.

Responsible, transparent use of AI will play a growing role in public service delivery. Building capacity and driving responsible AI adoption across the public sector will be a key focus, in order to enhance responsiveness and efficiency, and personalise services.

Key deliverables include:

• Implementation of Better Public Services 2030 and Digital Public Services 2030
• Our commitment to Ireland’s Digital Public Infrastructure; a new Public Service Data Strategy 2030; and ensuring the digital readiness of all new legislation
• A new AI Advisory Unit for the public service, a National AI Fellowship programme for the public sector, launching a new GovTech 2026 Challenge, and supporting all public servants to avail of AI training courses
• Accelerating the digital transformation of our health service through implementation of Digital for Care 2030 and a new AI for Care Strategy; a national electronic prescribing service by 2028; and digitisation of Irish healthcare records and information systems by 2032.

We are focused on growing our digital economy and remaining a location of choice for investment and AI / Digital startups, and a global hub for applied AI innovation. We will work with our industry partners to achieve our ambitions, strengthening Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for global technology business, and driving productivity and competitiveness.

Key deliverables include:

• A new targeted strategy to drive AI adoption across key sectors of the enterprise base, with ambitious sectoral targets for AI adoption, and milestones for delivery
• An Enterprise Ireland AI Adoption Roadmap for its client companies, differentiated by sector, and the appointment of AI Sector Champions
• An Observatory for Business AI Readiness (OBAIR), developing intelligence on use of AI by enterprise in Ireland, and an AI and Digital awareness and literacy campaign for SMEs
• Establishing an AI Research Centre of Scale, expanding CeADAR, progressing access to advanced compute capacity, a new AI Regulatory Sandbox, an AI in Research transformation programme to support AI skills needs across the economy, and establishing a Quantum Centre of Excellence
• A new AI Office of Ireland, and continued stakeholder engagement, including hosting an International AI and Digital Summit during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU to showcase Ireland as a digital and regulatory hub

We are committed to investing in secure, resilient and future-proofed digital and AI infrastructure to grow and support Irish enterprise, to enhance quality of life in Ireland, to support Ireland as a location for investment and to enable world-leading RD&I in Ireland.

Key deliverables include:

• Delivering on our digital connectivity targets through an updated Digital Connectivity Strategy, and via the National Broadband Plan; enabling gigabit broadband connectivity to every premise, and strengthening Ireland’s international connectivity by promoting and facilitating the creation of new subsea cable connectivity routes from Ireland to Europe
• Strengthening the security and resilience of our digital infrastructure across our networks and sub-sea cable infrastructure, as well as our preparedness and emergency response capacity
• Supporting the development and adoption of transformative digital infrastructure technologies through the sustained growth of our national Advanced Computing infrastructure, establishing Ireland’s AI Factory Antenna, and CASPIr supercomputer, as well as supporting strategic pilot digital initiatives in 5G Standalone, quantum and advanced communication technologies

We are focused on accelerating our cyber security capacity, skills and adoption, to keep pace with the significant increase in cyber-related risks, by fostering a proactive compliance culture, building our cyber security capacity, and engaging effectively at national and international level.

Key deliverables include:

• A new Cyber Security Strategy in 2026, delivering additional capacity for our National Cyber Security Centre, establishing a new Cyber Security Research Centre of Excellence, and providing targeted grant funding for EU NIS2 Directive obligations
• Supporting the secure use of AI in the public sector, though a National AI Cyber Risk Assessment and updated guidance
• Prioritising legislation to implement the EU NIS2 Directive and preparing for implementation of the EU Cyber Resilience Act

We are committed to Ireland’s important role in enforcing digital regulation and to strengthening Ireland’s position as an EU Centre of Excellence and digital regulatory hub. We will continue to be a strong advocate at EU-level for a balanced, proportionate and coherent approach to digital regulation, which supports competitiveness, innovation and the protection of fundamental rights.

Key deliverables include:

• Reinforcing Ireland’s position as a trusted, agile, forward-looking digital regulatory hub by enhancing our strategic engagement at EU level to influence and advance the EU’s digital simplification agenda, and strengthening cross-sectoral engagement to ensure balanced, coherent and future-proofed digital regulatory frameworks
• Ensuring effective, coherent implementation of the EU AI Act in Ireland, including through a new AI Office of Ireland, and AI regulatory sandbox
• Delivering a predictable, efficient, and responsive regulatory system by ensuring our regulators are sufficiently resourced, maximising timely recruitment and resourcing, encouraging an approach that enables innovation and competitiveness, and working with stakeholders to provide required skills initiatives
• Establishing a new Criminal Justice International Cooperation Office under the EU eEvidence Package
• Fostering collaboration and coordination across the digital regulatory landscape by supporting the enhancement of the Digital Regulators Group and its Secretariat, and reviewing our domestic digital regulatory structures and strengthening digital policy coordination across Government

Online Safety is a priority for the Government, in particular the safety of vulnerable groups, such as children and young people, and the Government is supporting Coimisiún na Meán to implement our Online Safety Framework. New challenges and risks will continue to emerge with the advent of AI, and the Government will ensure that these are addressed in a timely, robust and comprehensive manner.

We recognise the importance of supporting teachers, parents and families to develop the necessary awareness and skills to protect themselves online. We will continue to build awareness of users’ rights on reporting inappropriate, harmful and illegal content and the role of Coimisiún na Meán. Online safety will be a priority for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026.

Key deliverables include:

• Ensuring our Online Safety Framework is sufficiently robust to deal with emerging challenges and risks, including by adequately resourcing regulators, progressing enhancements to the EU Online Safety Framework, and engaging with the European Commission on additions to the list of prohibited practices under the EU AI Act
• Working actively with like-minded Member States to explore options to introduce age restrictions on the use of social media concentrating, in particular, on those under sixteen years of age, strongly advocating for a decision on the “digital age of majority” to be taken at EU level but taking action domestically if necessary
• Work ongoing through Ireland’s National Counter Disinformation Strategy, and on media literacy, and educational supports, including awareness and skills resources to support online safety in schools and developing a national network of Digital Citizenship Champions

Through an inclusive approach, we will ensure all groups in society are supported and empowered to embrace AI adoption and thrive in a digital society.

We will equip our workforce with cutting-edge skills and foster widespread digital skills, as well as building societal trust and literacy. We will support workers to navigate the impacts of potential job displacement, including through agile, accessible and fit-for-purpose upskilling and reskilling opportunities.

Key deliverables include:

• A new Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future to ensure our skills ecosystem remains responsive and future-focused
• Expanding our research talent pipeline through a second wave of Research Ireland Centres for Research Training
• A new National Skills Observatory to analyse labour market dynamics and skills development across all skills needs, identifying gaps in provision, and enabling additional skills initiatives
• A new online one-stop-shop AI Skilling Platform for employers and individuals, and a nationwide Digital and AI skilling campaign to enhance awareness of opportunities
• The continued digital transformation of the tertiary education system
• A commitment to ensuring that all learners acquire foundational digital skills, digital literacy skills, and media literacy skills needed to thrive in a digital world, across curricula at all levels
• A National Conversation on AI in research to support public engagement and informed debate, and build public trust

1. Redesign public services around Life Events
2. All public servants supported to avail of AI training
3. Ireland’s Government Digital Wallet
4. New Public Service Data Strategy
5. Digital healthcare records & information systems
6. National Accelerator Programme
7. Complete National Broadband Plan
8. Digital & AI Literacy Campaign
9. Quantum Centre of Excellence
10. National Strategy for Advanced Computing Infrastructure and Services
11. New Cyber Security Strategy
12. New Cyber Security Research Centre of Excellence
13. New Criminal Justice International Cooperation Office
14. Support enhancement of the Digital Regulators Group
15. Enhance online safety, including a new age verification tool
16. Nationwide Digital & AI Skilling Campaign
17. Digital Citizenship Champions for Schools
18. New Roadmap for Technology Skills of the Future

1. AI Advisory Unit for public service
2. National AI Fellowship Programme
3. ‘AI for Care’ healthcare strategy
4. AI & Digital Summit
5. Sectoral AI Adoption Strategy for enterprise
6. AI Awareness & Literacy Campaign for SMEs
7. Oifig IS na hÉireann / AI Office of Ireland
8. AI Regulatory Sandbox - focus on SMEs & Startups
9. AI Research Centre of Scale
10. Observatory for Business AI Readiness (OBAIR)
11. AI in Research Transformation Programme
12. National AI Cyber Risk Assessment
13. Ireland’s AI Factory Antenna & sustainable national HPC/AI infrastructure (CASPIr supercomputer)
14. AI Toolkits & CPD for teachers
15. National Skills Observatory
16. Communications campaign on reporting harmful AI content
17. One-stop-shop AI Skilling Platform
18. National Conversation on AI in research