The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs has found that Ireland is generating AI-related jobs at two to three times the pace of peer EU countries, giving HR and talent acquisition functions a data-backed signal that the domestic AI skills pipeline can support continued hiring rather than forcing reliance on overseas recruitment.

The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs is an independent advisory body reporting to the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, tasked with advising government on Ireland's skills needs. It published its report, titled The Irish Labour Market and AI in 2026, this week.

The strategic logic gives employers a credible domestic-talent argument rather than defaulting to overseas recruitment. Ireland ranks second in the EU for AI skills, behind Luxembourg, and second for how widely AI is used across the economy, positioning the state as what the report calls a global front runner.

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said the pace of change is astounding and that the research highlights strong performance across several key metrics, while cautioning that AI spread throughout the country remains uneven and that success in adoption is not automatic. Minister of State Niamh Smyth said the economy will continue to grow but that businesses, workers and government must build the capacity to adopt and use AI effectively.

The structural driver is sustained state investment in education and training, with government continuing to fund skills programmes intended to convert an early talent advantage into broader productivity gains rather than letting momentum stall.

For the sector, the findings suggest HR and learning and development functions should not assume uniform AI readiness across all sites or regions, since the report explicitly flags uneven adoption. Turning Ireland's early lead into durable advantage will depend on employers investing directly in reskilling rather than relying on national-level momentum alone.

Source: The Irish Post