On 17 June 2026, the Irish Government published the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 (the Bill). The Bill is at the published legislative stage and must complete all Oireachtas stages before it becomes law. Its purpose is to provide the domestic enforcement architecture for Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, within the Irish legal order. The Bill comprises 139 sections, 10 parts, and 4 schedules.
The Bill's authority derives from Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, which requires each member state to designate a national competent authority under Article 70. Part 2 of the Bill establishes Oifig IS na hEireann, the AI Office of Ireland, as an independent statutory body serving as Ireland's central AI supervisory authority. Part 3 designates sector regulators as Market Surveillance Authorities in their respective sectors. These include the Data Protection Commission and the Central Bank of Ireland. The enforcement ladder runs from written warnings through prohibition and seizure of AI systems.
Providers and deployers of in-scope AI systems operating in Ireland will face the Bill's domestic enforcement regime once it is enacted. Deployers of high-risk AI systems in healthcare, financial services, employment, and education face conformity documentation requirements and mandatory registration. Fines for serious breaches can reach EUR 35 million or 7 percent of global annual turnover, whichever is higher, under the EU AI Act penalty structure.
The Bill assigns prohibited AI practices under Article 5 of the EU AI Act to criminal enforcement in Ireland. Questions remain on how the AI Office of Ireland, as central coordinator, will share enforcement jurisdiction with sector-specific Market Surveillance Authorities. Legislative progress can be tracked under Bill No. 69/2026 on the Oireachtas website. No Second Stage hearing date has yet been announced.
Licentium advises technology companies, financial institutions, and AI deployers on EU AI Act obligations and national implementing measures. Our team and partner network are available to assist businesses subject to Irish or cross-border AI regulatory requirements. Work we undertake includes AI Act conformity assessments, high-risk AI system documentation, Market Surveillance Authority engagement, and AI regulatory mapping across EU jurisdictions.