Source: Mondaq

The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026 was signed into Irish law and gives effect to the EU Artificial Intelligence Act by establishing national supervision and enforcement of the EU Act’s obligations. The statute is unchanged from the previously published Bill, as no amendments were adopted during the legislative process. Key legal structures created by the Act include the AI Office of Ireland as a central coordinating authority, a distributed oversight model made up of multiple national bodies designated as market surveillance and notifying authorities, and provisions for supervision, adjudication and administrative sanctions.

The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment announced on 30 July 2026 that the AI Office is expected to be operational by 2 August 2026, aligning with the EU AI Act’s general applicability date of 2 August 2026 while noting that rules for high‑risk AI systems have delayed effective dates under Regulation 1026/1744 (2 December 2027 and 2 August 2028 depending on system type). Paul Byrne has been confirmed as the first CEO of the AI Office. The article reports an intention to designate the AI Office as a market surveillance authority by statutory instrument expected in the coming weeks and notes the Minister’s statement that a second primary law is expected in Autumn 2026 to formally adopt the AI Digital Omnibus Regulation 1026/1744.