Minister for Health publishes Ireland’s first national AI for Care Strategy

The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD has launched AI for Care, Ireland's first national strategy dedicated to the safe, responsible, and effective application of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and social care. This strategy marks a major milestone in the digital transformation of the Irish health service. It signifies strategic intent, operational readiness, and a whole-of-system shift toward safe, ethical, and effective adoption of artificial intelligence across healthcare. It also fulfils a key commitment in the Programme for Government to use AI to modernise healthcare services and enhance patient experience.

AI for Care sets out how AI will improve care across four key areas: clinical care, operations, research & innovation, and public health. Patients and staff will benefit from:

• Faster diagnosis: Certified AI solutions that enable radiologists to read images (X-rays, CT scans and MRIs) faster and detect strokes, cancers and fractures earlier.
• Better patient flow: AI-supported discharge planning for patients, helping reduce delays.
• Less paperwork for clinicians: AI scribe tools cutting documentation time by up to 40%, freeing clinicians to spend more time with patients.
• Earlier detection of disease: AI tools for screening services to boost capacity and reduce turnaround times for people waiting for test results.
• More consistent care nationwide: More accurate processing of evidence and data to enable better planning and reduce variation in care delivery.
• Greater efficiency: AI improving forecasting, reducing waste and automating high-volume administrative tasks.

Minister Carroll MacNeill said:

"AI for Care marks an important step toward creating a safer, smarter, and more sustainable healthcare service. It provides a clear and practical roadmap for adopting AI in ways that are safe, transparent, truly enhance patient care, and support clinicians. The strategy focuses on using technology to strengthen, rather than replace the vital human relationships at the core of healthcare.

"We are already seeing improved healthcare outcomes from the use of AI, including expedited stroke and cancer diagnoses, enhanced patient flow, and reduced administrative workload for clinicians.

"AI offers us a rare opportunity to reshape how care is delivered - making it more timely, more personalised and more equitable. With AI for Care, Ireland is taking a responsible, ambitious, people-centred approach to this future."

During the launch event at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, the Minister emphasised that AI technologies are intended to support clinicians and enhance clinical judgement, and stressed the importance of robust safeguards, such as mandatory human oversight, compliance with the EU AI Act, and forthcoming national guidance from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to promote the safe and transparent implementation of AI in healthcare.

Welcoming the strategy, Damien McCallion, HSE Chief Technology and Transformation Officer, said:

"AI is already changing how people learn, work and live, and is integral in our transformation journey to reshape Ireland's health and social care services. Developed with the Department of Health, patients and other stakeholders, under the Digital for Care framework, AI for Care aims to promote and use AI as a transformative tool to improve the quality of care for patients, drive increased efficiency and productivity, and enable research and population health planning. We are facing ever increasing demands for healthcare as our population continues to grow, our use of AI will be pivotal in fostering further innovation and addressing the challenges facing the system."

"AI for Care is a living strategy that will evolve over time and is shaped by the needs of patients, healthcare providers, the public and other key stakeholders. The new strategy sets out the vision for AI across Ireland's Health Services and the opportunities for AI deployment over the next five years."

Richard Greene, HSE Chief Clinical Information Officer, said:

"Across any AI effort, we will ensure we remain fully person-centric and transparent and trustworthy. We will ensure a human approach is taken to use AI to further enable - not replace - healthcare professionals in their work, and that we lean on lived experience to guide continuous learning. We will ensure that we enforce the appropriate governance and safety measures and realise proven benefit throughout the deployment of our AI Strategy.

Potential use cases for AI are being identified, and we have several projects already underway in some parts of the health service. AI for Care sets out the path forward to build on this positive work and harness the power of AI to support more areas of the health service in a safe and responsible way."

Our health service is experiencing increasing pressures due to rising demand and complexity. AI for Care offers a clear, evidence-based roadmap designed to support clinicians, enhance patient outcomes, and ensure the sustainability of the health service into the future.

The HSE will soon publish an AI Implementation Framework to complement AI for Care and ensure consistent rollout of AI across all Health Regions.

Notes

AI for Care is a core element of the Government's wider Digital for Care agenda and complements the new National Digital and AI Strategy, positioning Ireland to harness emerging technologies safely and responsibly across all sectors. It also supports Sláintecare's vision for integrated, person-centred care.

AI for Care sets a national roadmap for AI adoption across four domains:

1. Clinical Care: Supporting faster diagnosis, improved decision support, and reduced clinical risk.
2. Operations: Streamlining patient flow, reducing administrative burden, and improving system efficiency.
3. Research & Innovation: Enabling safe secondary use of health data for discovery, population health and clinical trials.
4. Public Health: Strengthening screening, early detection and preventative care.

These pillars are supported by clear guiding principles, robust governance, and a living AI Strategic Roadmap that will evolve as technologies mature.

Ireland's approach to AI in healthcare will ensure:

• Clear governance and clinical accountability
• Rigorous data protection and cybersecurity
• Fair and equitable access to AI-enabled services
• Strong protections for patients and service users
• Continuous public engagement and transparency

AI for Care builds on major digital investments now underway, including:

• HSE Health App: Giving patients direct digital access to their own health information and services, strengthening transparency, trust and digital inclusion.
• National Shared Care Record: bringing together existing patient data from multiple sources, giving healthcare professionals secure access to patient's health information through a secure clinical portal and allowing patients to view their own information through the HSE Health App
• National Electronic Health Record (EHR): Recently approved by Government and now moving through procurement with the shortlisting of vendors in Q1 2026. The system is a national system that will be deployed regionally to ensure a safe, coordinated rollout across all publicly funded hospitals and community healthcare services.

These initiatives form the digital backbone that will enable the safe adoption of AI and prepare Ireland for the full implementation of European Health Data Space (EHDS).

AI for Care is grounded in a strong legal and regulatory foundation, including:

• HIQA's forthcoming National Guidance on Responsible and Safe Use of AI.
• Full alignment with the EU AI Act, introducing strong oversight for high-risk AI systems used in healthcare.
• Preparations for EHDS implementation, including enhanced data governance and work to establish a Health Data Access Body.
• Integration with the forthcoming Health Information Bill, which will provide the legal basis for safe, secure sharing of health information and underpin both the National Shared Care Record and future National EHR.

AI for Care will also stimulate innovation across Ireland's Medtech and digital health sectors. It will support the growth of new specialist roles, including clinical AI leads, data scientists, AI safety officers and cybersecurity experts, enabling Ireland to compete as a leader in health innovation.