Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

182. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the type of training provided to staff within his Department in the use of, or understanding of artificial intelligence; if a programme is planned for all staff on their obligations under the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67468/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As part of the roll-out of my Department’s Interim Internal AI Strategy in June this year, over 500 staff of the Department attended online awareness sessions on the strategy. These online sessions covered a range of areas including guidance on AI use in the Department and governance and compliance requirements. A recording of one of the sessions is also available to staff on the Department’s intranet, as is the strategy itself and relevant guidance.

Staff have also access to a range of AI training courses including the newly developed AI Essentials training course in the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), which gives participants an overview of key AI issues including AI terminology and key concepts; real-world AI use cases across different public service disciplines; and the key regulatory, ethical and fairness issues in AI, including compliance with EU AI regulations. 27 staff from my Department attended the pilot of this course in November. Three further sessions are scheduled in December and January and all places on this training will be filled. Specialist training has also been provided to individual staff in relevant areas of the Department in line with business needs.

More broadly, in terms of its overall digitalisation mandate, my Department has worked with the IPA to develop a suite of training courses, including Implementing the AI Guidelines, the aforementioned AI Essentials course, Unlocking the Power of Microsoft Copilot for the Public Service and an AI Masterclass for Senior Public Service Leaders. These courses are designed to meet the needs of both technical and non-technical staff and further details can be found on the IPA website (www.ipa.ie). Since they were launched, over 1,700 people across all Departments have completed the course on Navigating the Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service and almost 4,000 have completed the bespoke course on AI in the Public Service. These training courses can go some way towards helping all Departments fulfil their obligations under article 4 of the AI Act to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy among staff using AI technology, in addition to any specific other training that may need to be offered based on the type and nature of AI use within a particular setting.