Some of the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on AI adoption in Ireland are striking. One stands out above the rest: 58% of large Irish businesses are now using AI.

Considering how recently AI became a serious boardroom conversation for most organisations, that's a remarkable number. As an IT recruitment agency in Ireland working with technology leaders across data, cloud, cyber and engineering, we think the more interesting question now isn't how quickly businesses are adopting AI. It's whether everything underneath it is ready to keep pace.

What the Latest CSO Figures Show

The CSO's Information Society Statistics for Enterprises 2025 show how quickly AI has moved into Irish business [1][2]:

For context, around 8% of Irish enterprises used AI in 2023, and roughly 36% of large enterprises [2]. Adoption among large businesses has grown by more than 20 percentage points in two years.

Adoption Is Fast. Value Is the Harder Part

Using AI and getting real value from it are two different things. EY Ireland's 2026 Tech Leaders' Outlook Survey of 150 Irish CIOs and CTOs shows the gap [3]:

• 82% of Irish tech leaders are investing in AI, up from 44% a year earlier.
• Only 37% have a formal AI strategy.
• 20% have yet to see meaningful value from AI.
• 19% say they can't adopt AI fast enough, up from 12%.

Globally the picture is similar. Deloitte's 2026 Global Technology Leadership Study found 42% of technology leaders report low or no return on their AI investments so far [4]. Adoption has happened incredibly quickly. Turning that adoption into genuine business value is proving to be the harder part.

The Foundations That Make AI Work

From conversations we've been having with senior technology leaders, the organisations getting the most from AI aren't necessarily the ones chasing every new tool or use case. They're generally the ones that had already spent time getting the foundations right:

• Good quality, accessible data. AI is only as useful as the data underneath it. 17% of Irish tech leaders point to data management weaknesses as a key investment need [3].
• Modern infrastructure. Scalable cloud and platform engineering that can support new workloads without months of rework.
• Sensible architecture. Systems that connect, so AI can work across the business rather than in isolated pilots.
• Strong security and governance. 48% of Irish tech leaders name data leakage through generative AI as their biggest concern, and 36% say they are aware of AI-enabled cyber risk but not prepared for it [3].
• The right people. Leaders and specialists who understand both the technology and the business well enough to bring it all together.

None of that is particularly new or exciting. Technology leaders have been talking about most of it for years. But AI is putting a much brighter spotlight on why it matters.

What an IT Recruitment Agency in Ireland Is Seeing in AI Hiring

The people element is where we see the pressure most clearly. EY Ireland found that 36% of Irish tech leaders now name a shortage of skilled employees as their most significant barrier, up from 24% the year before [3].

Interestingly, much of the demand we're seeing isn't for "AI specialists" alone. It's for the people who make AI possible:

• Data engineers and data architects who can make data clean, connected and usable.
• Cloud, platform and DevOps engineers who can build the infrastructure to run AI at scale.
• Cybersecurity and AI governance specialists who can manage risk, privacy and regulation, including the EU AI Act.
• Technology leaders and architects who can translate business problems into technical decisions.

Our recruitment consultants in Dublin increasingly hear clients ask for people who combine technical depth with business understanding. Those hybrid profiles are scarce, and the businesses that invested in them early are now moving faster.

A Head Start for Those Who Did the Groundwork

From what we're hearing, the organisations with the strongest foundations have a considerable head start. For everyone else, the good news is that it's not too late. But the next wave of AI value is more likely to come from data, infrastructure, security and people than from the next new tool.

We'd be interested to hear from technology leaders on this. Is your organisation's AI adoption running ahead of its foundations, or are the foundations what's making it work?

If you're building the data, cloud, security or leadership capability to make AI deliver, talk to TRC. As an IT recruitment company in Ireland specialising in data and AI, infrastructure and cloud, cybersecurity and IT leadership, we help organisations hire the people behind the technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Irish businesses use AI?

According to the CSO's Information Society Statistics 2025, 20.2% of Irish enterprises with 10 or more employees use AI, rising to 57.7% of large enterprises with 250 or more employees.

What do businesses need in place before adopting AI?

Good quality, accessible data; modern, scalable infrastructure; connected architecture; strong security and governance; and people who understand both the technology and the business.

Which tech roles are in demand because of AI in Ireland?

Beyond AI and machine learning specialists, demand is strong for data engineers, data architects, cloud and platform engineers, cybersecurity and AI governance specialists, and technology leaders who can connect AI to business outcomes. A specialist IT recruitment agency in Ireland can help map this talent.

About The Recruitment Companyn Ireland

The Recruitment Company (TRC) is a specialist IT recruitment agency in Ireland, based in Dublin. We provide permanent, contract and executive search across IT infrastructure and cloud, software development, cybersecurity, data and AI, and IT leadership recruitment in Ireland, working with clients across the Irish market and internationally.

Sources

1. CSO, Information Society Statistics: Enterprises 2025, Artificial Intelligence (February 2026): https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-isse/informationsocietystatistics-enterprises2025/artificialintelligence/

2. CSO, Understanding of AI and its Use in Ireland: What CSO Data Tells Us (August 2026): https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/featurearticles/featurearticles2026/understandingofaianditsuseinireland-whatcsodatatellsus/

3. EY Ireland, Tech Leaders' Outlook Survey 2026 (150 Irish CIOs and CTOs): https://www.ey.com/en_ie/newsroom/2026/06/skills-shortages-top-constraint-for-irish-tech-leaders-ai-cyber-concerns

4. Deloitte, 2026 Global Technology Leadership Study: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/about/press-room/2026-global-technology-leadership-study-release.html