Ireland - National Digital Decade strategic roadmap

Ireland's Digital Decade Strategic Roadmap updates were adopted by the Irish government in 2026 to address key challenges, including ICT skills shortages, SME digital adoption, cybersecurity resilience, healthcare digitalisation, and the diffusion of advanced technologies among domestic enterprises.

Ireland's Digital Roadmap to 2030

Ireland has demonstrated a high level of ambition in the Digital Decade programme, setting 11 national targets and aligning 91% of them with EU 2030 objectives. The updated roadmap includes 81 measures supported by over €9.24 billion in total investment, with more than €3.5 billion in public funding. The roadmap prioritises infrastructure deployment, digital skills, business digitalisation and public sector transformation.  

Progress is mixed. While 60% of Ireland's trajectory points are considered on track, several key indicators require acceleration, particularly ICT specialists, AI adoption, e-health services and cybersecurity maturity. 

The roadmap is underpinned by the Government's National Digital & AI Strategy 2030 – Digital Ireland: Connecting our People, Securing our Future, which aims to position Ireland as a leading digital nation, a hub for AI innovation and a competitive location for technology-driven businesses. 

Priorities for Digital Skills Development

For organisations committed to widening access to tech skills and quality employment opportunities, the report's findings on skills are particularly significant.

Priority 1: Strengthening the ICT Talent Pipeline

While Ireland performs strongly in overall digital skills, with 82.8% of adults possessing at least basic digital skills, already exceeding the EU's 2030 target of 80%, growth in ICT specialists remains insufficient. ICT specialists account for just 6.3% of total employment, below the level required to meet Ireland's 2030 ambition of 9.6%. 

The Commission highlights the need to:

• Expand ICT education and training provision.
• Better align education and upskilling programmes with labour market needs.
• Increase specialist skills in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing, semiconductors and quantum technologies.
• Strengthen reskilling and upskilling pathways for adults. 

Priority 2: Increasing Inclusion and Participation

The report places particular emphasis on widening participation by:

• Women in ICT careers.
• Older adults.
• Lower-skilled workers.
• People at risk of digital exclusion. 

This aligns strongly with the mission of creating inclusive pathways into in-demand technology careers through apprenticeships, digital skills programmes and lifelong learning opportunities.

Priority 3: Expanding Work-Based Learning

Ireland continues to invest in programmes such as:

• ICT Apprenticeships.
• Springboard+.
• Skillnet Ireland.
• Skills to Advance.
• Higher education and lifelong learning initiatives. 

ICT apprenticeship participation has almost doubled from 244 apprentices in 2023 to 484 in early 2025, demonstrating growing recognition of apprenticeship pathways as a solution to skills shortages. 

Measures Supporting Achievement of Digital Decade Targets

Supporting SME Digital Transformation

Although Ireland performs above the EU average for SME digitalisation, adoption remains uneven, particularly among smaller and less digitally mature businesses. Current supports include:

• Grow Digital Portal.
• Grow Digital Voucher.
• Digital for Business consultancy support.
• Digital Transition Fund.
• European Digital Innovation Hubs.

The roadmap also introduces new enterprise supports including advisory hubs, voucher programmes and digital transformation initiatives designed to improve SME competitiveness.

Accelerating AI Adoption

AI has emerged as a major policy priority.

Key initiatives include:

• AI – Good for Business programme.
• Sectoral AI Adoption Roadmap.
• AI Sector Champions.
• Observatory for Business AI Readiness (OBAIR).
• AI research and innovation centres.
• Regulatory sandboxes.
• AI skills and micro-credential programmes.

These measures are intended to ensure businesses, particularly SMEs, can adopt AI safely and effectively while improving productivity and competitiveness.

Building Strategic Technology Capability

Ireland is investing heavily in future technologies through:

• The Silicon Island National Semiconductor Strategy.
• The new I-C3 National Competence Centre in Semiconductors.
• Participation in EU semiconductor initiatives.
• Development of a Quantum Centre of Excellence.
• Investment in photonics, advanced packaging and quantum communications. 

These initiatives aim to strengthen Ireland's position in emerging technologies and create future high-value employment opportunities.

Public Service Digitalisation

Ireland's Digital Public Services Plan 2030 focuses on:

• Making all key public services digitally accessible.
• Expanding digital identity services through MyGovID and the Government Digital Wallet.
• Improving data sharing and interoperability.
• Increasing AI use within public services. 

Progress in e-health is supported through:

• Digital for Care Strategy.
• National Shared Care Record.
• Health App rollout.
• Nationwide ePrescribing.
• National Electronic Health Record implementation.

Key Challenges Ireland Must Overcome

Challenge 1: Advanced ICT Skills Shortages

Despite strong basic digital skills performance, shortages of advanced digital talent remain one of the biggest barriers to digital transformation. Employers continue to face challenges recruiting specialists in AI, cybersecurity, data, cloud and semiconductor technologies. Ireland remains heavily dependent on inward migration to meet demand. 

Challenge 2: Uneven SME Digital Adoption

While digitally advanced firms continue to thrive, many SMEs remain at low levels of digital maturity. This limits productivity growth, innovation and resilience across the domestic enterprise base. 

Challenge 3: Cybersecurity Readiness

Irish businesses lag the EU average in the adoption of mature cybersecurity practices, particularly in areas such as risk assessment, monitoring, testing and incident preparedness. SMEs remain particularly vulnerable. 

Challenge 4: E-Health and Public Service Digitalisation

Although Ireland has made significant progress, it remains the weakest-performing EU country for access to electronic health records. Further work is needed on interoperability, provider onboarding and patient access. The justice system also remains partly paper-based. 

Challenge 5: Connectivity Adoption

Ireland has strong broadband infrastructure, but take-up of gigabit connectivity and advanced 5G services remains below EU averages. The challenge is increasingly one of adoption rather than availability. 

Challenge 6: Sustainability and Green Transition

As a major data centre hub, Ireland faces growing pressure to balance digital growth with environmental sustainability. Data centres accounted for 22% of national electricity consumption in 2024, with demand expected to continue rising. Better integration between digital investment, renewable energy and infrastructure planning will be essential. 

Ireland enters the second half of the Digital Decade from a position of considerable strength. The country exceeds EU averages in digital skills, connectivity infrastructure, start-up activity, cloud adoption and business digitalisation. However, delivering the full benefits of digital transformation will require Ireland to broaden participation in digital careers, strengthen advanced and specialist skills pipelines, accelerate SME adoption of emerging technologies, improve cybersecurity resilience and modernise critical public services such as healthcare.

For organisations focused on developing talent and supporting employers, the report reinforces a clear message: digital skills development, inclusion and workforce capability remain central to Ireland's competitiveness and to ensuring that individuals, businesses and communities can fully benefit from the opportunities of the digital economy.