AI for Care, published on 11 March, sets out how AI will improve care across four key areas: clinical care, operations, research and innovation, and public health between 2026 and 2030.

It sets out how AI can modernise healthcare services and improve patient experience through faster diagnoses, better patient flow, less paperwork, earlier detection of disease, greater efficiency, and consistent care nationwide.

Carroll MacNeill, minister for health, 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.”

She added that AI technologies are intended to support clinicians and enhance clinical judgement, and stressed the importance of safeguards, such as mandatory human oversight, compliance with the EU AI Act, and forthcoming national guidance from the Health Information and Quality Authority.

“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,” MacNeill added.

The strategy includes the use of certified AI solutions that enable radiologists to read images faster and detect strokes, cancers and fractures earlier; AI‑supported discharge planning for patients; AI scribe tools; AI tools for screening services; and AI improving forecasting, reducing waste and automating high‑volume administrative tasks.

It also includes measures for more accurate processing of evidence and data to enable better planning and reduce variation in care delivery.

Damien McCallion, chief technology and transformation officer at the Health Service Executive (HSE), said that AI is integral to the transformation of Ireland’s health and social care services.

“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,” he said.

The HSE plans to publish an AI Implementation Framework to complement the strategy and ensure consistent rollout of AI across health regions.

Richard Greene, chief clinical information officer at HSE, 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.”

He added that potential use cases for AI are being identified, and several projects are underway in some parts of the health service.

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