James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will specify the specific policy areas where the Department is examining future use of AI; if he will identify what entities the Department is working with, public or private, in relation to this examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18409/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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A Refresh of Ireland's National AI Strategy was published in November 2024. The Strategy sets out a whole of government approach to putting the necessary enablers in place to underpin AI adoption in enterprise and public services, including a supportive innovation ecosystem, a secure data and connectivity infrastructure, and policies to ensure that the workforce is prepared for the impact of AI.

My Department has a particular focus on delivery of the actions contained within Strand 3, "Driving AI in Enterprise". Our priority is to drive AI adoption in small businesses with targeted supports through our agencies.

The Government's AI Advisory Council recently submitted a report entitled 'Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Recommendations – Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future' to the Government. The High-Level Recommendations report serves as the main document, while additional deep-dive analyses on the creative sector, education and biometrics (FRT) further elaborate on these subjects. Members of the Council recently met with myself and Minister Peter Burke to discuss the report, and the Council's recommendations are being considered by Government.

My Department, along with the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council and the AI Advisory Council are progressing a body of research on the impact of artificial intelligence on key sectors of the Irish economy, with a view to reporting on results later this year. This will feed into ongoing policy development in this space.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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204. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will identify any AI training offered to people working in the Department; the level of take-up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18426/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department first issued a policy document on the use of Generative AI to all staff in July 2023. That policy highlight some of the potential areas where Generative AI can deliver efficiencies but also set out the risks of using such technologies and the mitigations that staff in the Department must adopt to avoid those risks. This was based on guidance received from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Since then some staff in my Department have attended AI related training courses made available by third party providers such as CeADAR, Irelands National Centre for AI. As these courses are generally free and enrolment is organised directly by staff members there are no formal records centrally maintained within the Department of the numbers of staff who have attended AI and related courses.

Some staff from my Department have also attended seminars and conferences (for example the Digital Government conference held in February 2025) where AI was a key focus.

The Department's original Generative AI Policy has recently been reviewed and an updated version is about to be issued to all staff which will encourage and foster greater use of Generative AI.

This initiative will also be supported by the development of additional end user training courses and a series of workshops will be led by the Department's ICT Unit over the coming months to explore and scope specific use cases for the use of AI within the internal businesses of the Department.

My Department led the development of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy - “AI – Here for Good”. As part of this Strategy, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) play a key role in providing advice and guidance on the deployment of AI tools across the public sector including to my Department.

The National AI Strategy and this cross-government engagement will continue to inform my Department's future approach in seeking to leverage A.I. in relation to the work and functions of the Department and training requirements and opportunities to support this will also be reviewed on a case by case basis.