5th August 2026
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth, have welcomed the appointment of the seven members of the Board of Oifig IS na hÉireann (the AI Office of Ireland).
The Minister has approved the appointment of the Chairperson and six Board Members.
They will have responsibility for governance and oversight of the functions of the AI Office of Ireland in meeting its obligations to coordinate Irelands approach to the implementation of the EU AI Act. Their role and these functions are prescribed by the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026.
The Board will comprise:
- Mary Doyle, Chairperson
- Professor Deirdre Ahern
- Dr Michelle Kearney
- Siobhan Noble
- Donal Rooney
- Dr Alessandra Sala
- Professor Alan Smeaton
The Board members bring extensive expertise across public administration, regulation, technology, governance, law, academia, consumer protection and ethics.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said:
"The appointment of the first Board of the AI Office of Ireland marks another important milestone in Ireland's implementation of the EU AI Act and our wider ambition to be a leader in trustworthy and human-centric AI.
The Board will provide leadership and oversight to support the Office in its role as Ireland's central coordinating authority for AI regulation under the EU AI Act. Their collective expertise will help ensure that Ireland develops a robust and innovative framework for the governance of AI while also safeguarding fundamental rights and fostering public trust.
I am pleased to note that two former members of Ireland’s AI Advisory Council, Professors Deirdre Ahern and Alan Smeaton, have agreed to bring their experience to the Board.
I warmly congratulate Mary Doyle on her appointment as Chairperson and each of the Board members on their appointments. I look forward to working with them as they support the development of a coordinated national approach to AI regulation and innovation."
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth said,
“I welcome Mary Doyle on her appointment of as the Chairperson of Board of Oifig IS na hÉireann, and the members of the Board on their appointments. These appointments will deliver governance and oversight of the functions of the AI Office of Ireland as it commences its vital role in giving Ireland a world-class focal point for AI regulation, innovation and expertise."
Chairperson Mary Doyle said:
"I am honoured to be appointed Chairperson of the Board of the AI Office of Ireland.
AI presents enormous opportunities to enhance public services, support economic growth and improve people's lives. Realising those opportunities requires a governance framework that promotes innovation while maintaining public trust and protecting fundamental rights.
I look forward to working with my fellow Board members, the Chief Executive Officer, and stakeholders from across industry and civil society to support the AI Office of Ireland in delivering its statutory mandate and helping to ensure the responsible, human-centric implementation of the EU AI Act in Ireland."
Notes for editors
Chairperson
Mary Doyle has been appointed Chairperson of the Board of the AI Office of Ireland. She is a former Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General in the Departments of the Taoiseach, Health and Children and Education and Skills.
She is currently a member of the Board of The Wheel and has previously served as a member of the National Economic and Social Council, the Board of Science Foundation Ireland, the National Statistics Board and as a Forum Member of the Economic and Social Research Institute. She holds a degree in European Studies from the University of Limerick and a Masters Degree in Public Service Management from Trinity College Dublin/Irish Management Institute. She was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2022 and is Secretary for Policy and International Relations at the Academy.
Professor Deirdre Ahern
Professor Deirdre Ahern is a Professor in Law at Trinity College Dublin where she is Director of the Technologies, Law and Society Research Group. Professor Ahern’s research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, and the regulatory challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence and other technologies. As a Principal Investigator with Research Ireland’s Rinn AI and Rinn Quantum, she is leading national research on technologies in society. Professor Ahern was appointed as a Member of the Irish Government’s AI Advisory Council in 2024 and as Chair of Ireland’s Company Law Review Group in 2026.
Dr Michelle Kearney
Dr Michelle Kearney currently works in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment having led the establishment of the AI Office of Ireland, developing its foundational governance and cross‑government coordination structures, over the past year. Dr Kearney is currently leading out on the International AI Summit – a flagship event of the Irish Presidency and the official launch of European AI Innovation month.
Siobhan Noble
Ms Noble is currently Chief Data and AI Officer of an Ireland-based financial services company. Ms. Noble also serves as the Vice Chair of the Irish Funds Emerging Technologies and Innovation Working Group and has published on digital transformation and AI in financial services.
Donal Rooney
Mr Rooney is a chartered accountant, experienced business leader and accomplished Group CFO across multiple roles in private equity, plc and public sector environments including NAMA, which he joined shortly after its establishment and played a lead role in scaling up the organisation. He is currently a non-executive director with Enterprise Ireland and Oxfam Ireland
Dr Alessandra Sala
Dr Sala is Senior Director of AI and Data Science at a global digital media company. Dr Sala chairs the AI and Multimedia Authenticity Collaboration, which brings together standards organizations to foster a unified response to deepfake technology. Dr Sala is Co-chair of the UNESCO Women for Ethical AI Platform.
Professor Alan Smeaton
Professor Alan Smeaton is Emeritus Professor of Computing at DCU and is a founding Director of the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics and is a distinguished researcher in artificial intelligence and data analytics. He was a board member of the Irish Research Council for 7 years. In 2024 Professor Smeaton was appointed as a Member of the Irish Government’s AI Advisory Council.
The AI Office of Ireland
The Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026, signed into law on 21 July 2026, establishes Oifig IS na hÉireann (AI Office of Ireland) as an independent statutory body and Ireland's central coordinating authority for the implementation of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689).
The AI Office will:
- act as the Single Point of Contact for the EU AI Act for the European Commission, national competent authorities and the public
- develop a consistent regulatory framework for the implementation of the EU AI Act and the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026
- facilitate centralised access to technical expertise for competent authorities
- drive AI innovation and adoption across Ireland
The Office is expected to become operational on 2 August 2026 and will provide strategic governance while facilitating a coordinated and consistent regulatory approach across Ireland's designated competent authorities.
ENDS
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