EU AI Act
Ireland's AI Enforcement Law Is Here: What Every SME Needs to Know
By EUActReady Team · 2026-07-10
Ireland is finalising the domestic law that gives the EU AI Act its teeth. A new AI Office with audit powers, fines of up to 7% of global turnover, and criminal
Ireland Moves to Enforce the EU AI Act On 17 June 2026, the Irish Government published the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026 (Bill No. 69/2026). As of this week, it is completing its final stages in the Oireachtas and is expected to be enacted into law imminently. This is not a new Irish AI law creating new obligations. The EU AI Act — Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 — already applies directly across all EU Member States. What this Bill does is build the domestic enforcement architecture that gives that regulation real operational teeth in Ireland: a dedicated enforcement office, designated sector regulators, audit powers, a fine ladder, and — uniquely among EU member states — criminal penalties for the most serious AI violations. For any Irish business that develops, imports, or deploys AI systems, this is the moment the compliance clock stops being theoretical. What the Bill Creates: The AI Office of Ireland The centrepiece of the legislation is the establishment of Oifig IS na hÉireann — the AI Office of Ireland — as an independent statutory body. The Office will serve as Ireland's central coordinating authority for implementing the EU AI Act, acting as the national poin