Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Taoiseach the expected timeline for publishing and implementing a new national digital strategy. [23228/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to driving our digital agenda, and to remaining a digital leader at the heart of Europe, in an increasingly competitive and uncertain global environment.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to harness the digital and AI revolution to deliver effective and modern public services and to grow the economy. This includes a commitment to update the National Digital Strategy, bringing together digital policy and regulatory responsibilities.

Preliminary work is underway across Departments with a view to scoping out the best approach to this very important work, which I would expect to be completed during 2025.

The Government is committed to building on our long-standing reputation as a technology hub to become a global innovation leader, and a vibrant location for digital and AI innovation.

We are mindful of Ireland’s important role in enforcing digital regulations. The Government is also very conscious of the need to close the innovation gap, which is a key competitiveness issue for Europe, and to get the balance right between necessary regulation and enabling innovation in the EU.

We welcome President von der Leyen’s commitments to simplify regulation, with a Digital Simplification package due in Q4, and Ireland will continue to be a strong advocate in Europe on digital policy, working with like-minded EU Member States, and through the D9+ Group.