31st October 2024
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD, today published a list of nine national public authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights under the EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act.
These authorities will get additional powers under the AI Act to facilitate them in carrying out their current responsibilities for protecting fundamental rights in circumstances where use of AI poses a high risk to those rights. For example, the authorities will have the power to access documentation that developers and deployers of AI systems are required to hold under the AI Act.
This action fulfils Ireland’s first obligation for the national implementation of the AI Act.
The list of authorities is as follows:
- An Coimisiún Toghcháin
- Coimisiún na Meán
- Data Protection Commission
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Financial Services & Pensions Ombudsman
- Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission
- Ombudsman
- Ombudsman for Children
- Ombudsman for the Defence Forces
Minister Calleary commented,
“AI can provide many benefits for our society and our economy. However, AI also comes with certain risks. The EU AI Act will have a critical role in addressing these risks and in promoting human-centric, trustworthy AI. It will establish a regulatory framework for the development and use of AI systems to provide a high level of protection to people’s health, safety, and fundamental rights.
“The government is committed to comprehensive and effective implementation of the AI Act and the publication of this list is an important first step in this regard. The additional powers these authorities will acquire under the AI Act will support them in protecting fundamental rights in circumstances where certain high-risk AI systems are used.”
This list will be notified to the European Commission. It will be kept under review by the Minister and can be updated at any time to reflect future changes in the national authorities.
Note to Editors
The pioneering EU Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, which entered into force on 2nd August 2024, provides a harmonised regulatory framework for AI systems developed or deployed in the EU. It is the most comprehensive such framework in the world. It is designed to provide a high level of protection to people’s health, safety, and fundamental rights and to promote the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI. The Act adopts a risk-based approach to regulation and focuses on applications of AI systems to ensure that its regulatory provisions are targeted and proportionate. Its provisions will apply, in a phased manner, over the 36-month period from entry into force.
The AI Act is an EU Regulation and consequently has direct effect in all Member States, however, it places obligations on Member States to provide for implementation and enforcement at national level.
The first obligation on Member States under the Act is to identify national public authorities which supervise or enforce the respect of obligations under Union law protecting fundamental rights, including the right to non-discrimination, in relation to certain high-risk uses of AI systems, specified the Act. Under the Act, fundamental rights are those enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including democracy, the rule of law and environmental protection. This list of authorities must be published, and notified to the European Commission, by 2 November 2024.
The identified authorities will not be competent authorities for the Act, nor will any obligations, responsibilities or tasks be assigned to them. Rather, identified authorities will get additional powers to facilitate them in carrying out their current mandates in circumstances involving the use of AI systems. These powers will apply from 2 August 2026.
ENDS
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