AI literacy training · Ireland
AI literacy training for Irish businesses
AI literacy training in Ireland is now a legal expectation for any firm whose staff use AI at work, and most firms have at least one person using ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini already. We run that training by video on Irish working hours, on the tasks your people actually do. You get a session matched to your size and a written record of what was covered.
From £295 (about €350)
Based in the UK, working by video with businesses in Ireland. Ireland is on the same time as the UK.
Four formats, priced up front
Sterling prices; euro figures are a guide at the October 2026 rate. Irish cards work at our online checkout. Prefer an invoice? Ask and pay by bank transfer within 7 days. Not legal advice.
What EU AI Act Article 4 training actually requires
Article 4 of the AI Act has applied since 2 February 2025. It covers deployers, meaning any organisation using an AI system in its work, so a solicitor's office drafting letters in Copilot counts.
The EU's Digital Omnibus on AI softened the duty in July 2026. Firms must still take measures to support AI literacy among staff and others using AI on their behalf, but no "sufficient" level is set for each person. The European Commission's AI literacy questions and answers say no certificate is needed and an internal record of training will do. They suggest a minimum: a general grasp of AI, what your firm uses, its risks, and content suited to people's roles.
National supervision starts from August 2026. Ireland's Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026, signed on 21 July 2026, set up the AI Office of Ireland to coordinate existing sector regulators (Matheson, July 2026). For most firms the practical point is simple: train people on the tools they use and keep a note that you did.
A sample agenda for the two-half-day workshop
Our starting shape. We swap the examples to fit your sector.
| Session | What happens | What staff leave with |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1, first hour | How AI writes text, why it sounds sure when wrong, and which tools your firm pays for | A one-line answer to "which tool am I allowed to use?" |
| Day 1, second hour | The data rules: what stays out of AI tools, and how business accounts differ from free ones | A short do and don't list for their desk |
| Day 1, last part | Each person drafts something real: a client email, a tender paragraph, a meeting summary | One task they can repeat on Monday |
| Day 2, first hour | Checking output: spotting invented facts, wrong dates and made-up references | A three-question check they run before sending |
| Day 2, second hour | Role-specific practice in small groups, using your own templates | Saved prompts for their own role |
| Day 2, close | Questions, the policy walk-through, and what to report if something goes wrong | Their name on the training record |
Times are a guide. The workshop runs over two half-days by video, up to 10 staff.
The tools your staff probably have already
Most Irish offices can start without buying anything. Checked October 2026.
- Microsoft Copilot ChatIncluded with Microsoft 365 business plans when staff sign in with a work account. The paid Copilot licence that reads across your files is a separate decision.
- Gemini in Google WorkspaceBuilt into Workspace business plans, so firms on Gmail and Drive usually start here.
- ChatGPT and Claude business plansBusiness versions keep your data out of model training by default. Personal free accounts used for work are the usual gap.
- AI inside your own softwareAccounts and practice packages now add AI features quietly. They count for Article 4 too.
GDPR in plain words: what stays out
Under GDPR, typing a client's details into an AI tool is processing personal data, and you need to know where that data goes. The Data Protection Commission asks organisations to check whether a provider stores or reuses what's entered. Our rule of thumb for staff:
- Names, PPS numbers, addresses and account details stay out of any tool your firm hasn't approved.
- No health, criminal record or other special category data at all without a documented reason.
- No client documents uploaded to personal accounts, even to "just summarise it".
- Anything sent to a client is read by a person first.
If your firm has no written rules yet, our AI policy covers this on one page.
How to tell the training worked
- People use the approved toolA month later, ask who still uses a personal ChatGPT account for work. The number should be close to zero.
- Checking becomes routineManagers see fewer drafts with wrong dates or invented details reaching them.
- The record existsYou can show who attended, when, and what was covered. We send it after the session.
Can Skillnet Ireland pay for this?
Skillnet Ireland has up to €80 million for workforce development in 2026, delivered through 70 business networks, with AI named as a priority (Skillnet Ireland, October 2025). Networks usually fund programmes they organise themselves, and we haven't confirmed whether any will pay a UK provider. Ask your network first. If they run a subsidised AI course that suits you, take it.
Questions people ask
Is AI literacy training mandatory in Ireland?
Article 4 of the EU AI Act expects any business using AI to take measures to support its staff's AI literacy. Since the July 2026 amendment no specific level is set, but doing nothing is hard to defend if something goes wrong.
Do we need an AI Act training certificate?
No. The European Commission says no certificate is needed. Keep an internal record of who was trained, when and on what, which is what we provide after each session.
How many Irish businesses use AI?
The CSO found that more than 20% of Irish enterprises used AI in 2025, up from 15% in 2024, with 58% of large firms and over 17% of small firms using it (CSO, February 2026).
Who regulates the AI Act in Ireland?
Existing sector regulators, coordinated by the AI Office of Ireland under the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Act 2026. Check the current list with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
Can you run AI training for employees in Dublin offices?
Yes, by video. Ireland is on UK time, so sessions fit an ordinary Dublin working day, and staff can join from the office or from home.
Who you'll work with
James Hayes Consulting is a UK AI consultancy led by Ross Hayes, who builds software for his own businesses and uses AI tools in them every day. We work with overseas businesses by video, set AI up on your real work, and tell you straight if something isn’t worth paying for.
Every project starts with a free 15-minute video call. Prices are in pounds sterling and agreed in writing before you commit; UK VAT isn’t added.
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