The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has urged the establishment of an independent national office for Artificial Intelligence to oversee enforcement of the EU AI Act.
At present, the AI office is set to be housed within the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, but ICCL told the Oireachtas Committee on AI that the office should operate independently, with its own budget, a commissioner, and a sufficient team of technical experts — mirroring the structure of the Data Protection Commission, reports RTE.
Dr Kris Shrishak, ICCL Enforce Senior Fellow, noted that the office will act as Ireland’s main liaison point under the EU legislation.
He said the State has already informed the European Commission that the office will be located within the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, reports RTE.
Dr Shrishak urged the committee to support calls for the office to be made fully independent, with financial resources, a commissioner, and expert staff, as is the case with the Data Protection Commission.
The Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) stressed that the new office would need “significant levels of operational and regulatory independence” from both Government and those “developing artificial intelligence technology”, reports RTE.
Liam Herrick said there is currently no clarity from the Government about how the office will be structured — whether it will function as part of a department or as a more autonomous entity.
Dr Shrishak also said the Government must take responsibility for its own use of AI and algorithmic systems, reports RTE.
He highlighted that the Department of Justice is using a chatbot named Tara, accompanied by a disclaimer stating it does not guarantee accuracy or accountability.
He also noted that the department previously operated a chatbot to assist asylum seekers, as reported by the Dublin Inquirer, reports RTE.
He said information obtained via the Freedom of Information Act showed the department did not conduct a tendering process, nor did it carry out risk or bias assessments for these chatbot systems.
Dr Shrishak said chatbots are just one example of how AI is being deployed.
“We don’t what kinds of these are being used in public bodies,” he said, reports RTE.
He called on the Department of Public Expenditure to introduce specific guidelines for AI procurement and create a central, public register documenting all algorithmic systems in use by state bodies, reports RTE.
“This is essential for the transparency of AI systems used by Government,” he said.
The IHREC reported that 73% of people in Ireland have concerns about AI’s effects on society, based on its 2025 survey conducted with Ipsos.
Mr Herrick said the findings reflect a “strong public appetite for effective regulation”, reports RTE.
He added that the same poll of 1,200 adults revealed only 22% of respondents think the Government is properly regulating technology companies.
A total of 68% expressed concern over how AI is used by the Government and in public services, reports RTE.
Mr Herrick warned that the public’s confidence in state regulation remains “very low”.
He also said there is a growing political narrative in both Europe and the US that pushes back against regulating AI, focusing instead on economic competitiveness, reports RTE.
“That was the message that was used by social media platforms for the last 10 or 15 years,” he said. “That we had to have light regulation or even self-regulation for competiveness and jobs,” reports RTE.
He said AI is already linked to harmful effects on children and young people.
Mr Herrick stated that the technology carries specific dangers for children, including “radicalisation to social withdrawal”, reports RTE.
He concluded that AI is being used to spread disinformation and hate “more effectively than before”, and said it’s important to “listen to the public and their desire for protection”, reports RTE.
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