Ireland has published the General Scheme of the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026, setting out how the State intends to fully implement and enforce the EU AI Act at national level.
Released on February 4, the General Scheme outlines the heads of the proposed legislation, which will give effect to Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, commonly known as the EU AI Act. While the AI Act has direct legal effect across EU member states, national legislation is required to designate supervisory authorities, establish enforcement mechanisms, and provide for penalties.
The proposed bill reflects Government decisions taken on March 4 and July 22, 2025, confirming that Ireland will adopt a distributed model of competent authorities for AI oversight. Under this approach, existing sectoral regulators will supervise AI systems within their respective domains, while a central authority will coordinate implementation and carry out certain overarching functions.
Central to the proposal is the creation of a new statutory independent body, Oifig Intleachta Shaorga na hÉireann — the AI Office of Ireland. The office will operate under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and serve as the State’s Single Point of Contact for the EU AI Act. It will act as the national coordinating authority, ensuring consistent enforcement and cooperation with European counterparts.
The General Scheme also provides for the formal designation and empowerment of competent authorities, as well as the establishment of penalties for infringements of the AI Act.
Officials have emphasized that the document should be read alongside the EU AI Act itself, as the Irish legislation is designed to operationalize and enforce obligations already set out at EU level.
The publication marks a significant step in Ireland’s preparations for the AI Act’s phased application and enforcement across the European Union.
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