Ireland: Government designated additional National Competent Authorities under the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act)

On 16 September 2025, Ireland designated additional authorities under the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) to bring the total number of designated National Competent Authorities to 15. These included the Media Commission, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, the Health Service Executive, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the Minister for Transport, the National Transport Authority, and the Workplace Relations Commission. A national Single Point of Contact was established within the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (formerly titled Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment until 2 June 2025) to coordinate activities with the European Commission, other Member States, stakeholders, and the public. This designation followed the earlier appointment of eight authorities on 4 March 2025, namely the Central Bank of Ireland, the Commission for Communications Regulation, the Commission for Railway Regulation, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Data Protection Commission, the Health and Safety Authority, the Health Products Regulatory Authority, and the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport. On 16 September 2025, the National AI Implementation Committee convened with the participation of all 15 authorities. A National AI Office will be established by 2 August 2026 to act as the central coordinating authority, provide technical expertise, operate a regulatory sandbox, and serve as the single point of contact for the EU AI Act in Ireland.