New Leadership for Ireland’s AI Regulator

Oifig IS na hÉireann (the AI Office of Ireland) has appointed its leadership team to coordinate implementation of the EU’s AI regulations, which came into force on a phased basis in 2024. The seven-person board is now operational as the European Commission enters its enforcement phase in August 2026, giving it power to fine and penalise companies that fail to comply with the EU AI Act.

Mary Doyle, a former senior civil servant who previously held assistant or deputy secretary general roles at the departments of the Taoiseach, Health, and Education, has been appointed to chair the board.

Paul Byrne has been named chief executive of the AI Office of Ireland. Byrne joins from the Medical Council of Ireland, where he served as executive director of education, innovation and artificial intelligence.

Board Members Appointed

The seven-member board comprises:

  • Dr Michelle Kearney, principal officer at the Department of Enterprise
  • Donal Rooney, chartered accountant and non-executive board member at Enterprise Ireland
  • Deirdre Byrne, law professor at Trinity College Dublin
  • Alan Smeaton, emeritus professor of computing at Dublin City University
  • Dr Alessandra Sala, senior director of AI and data science at Shutterstock
  • Siobhan Noble, chief data and AI officer at Irish fund services group Carne

Children’s Generative AI Use Surges in Ireland

A new CyberSafeKids report launched in Dublin on 2 September 2026 found that the use of generative AI by children has “exploded” over the past year.

The research shows dramatic increases in schoolwork-related AI usage: four times the number of 12- to 15-year-olds are now using generative AI for schoolwork compared with last year, while double the number of eight- to 12-year-olds are doing so.

Concerns Over AI Chatbot Disclosure Rules

CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney criticised the EU AI Act’s requirement that chatbots identify themselves as AI, arguing it contains a “get-out clause” because disclosure is only required when it is not already obvious “to a reasonable person”.

Cooney also commented on enforcement effectiveness, describing a recent $18bn penalty levied on Meta in the US as “chickenfeed” compared to its resources, and argued that fines would not deter tech giants.

Device and Platform Access Among Young Users

The CyberSafeKids report identified significant disparities in device access and platform usage:

  • 62% of students in DEIS primary schools aged eight to 12 have a smartphone—more than twice the numbers reported in non-DEIS schools
  • 63% of children aged eight to 12 access YouTube
  • 21% of children aged eight to 12 access Snapchat
  • 20% of children aged eight to 12 access TikTok

Source: The Irish Times