Ireland’s public service transformation agenda will take centre stage on Thursday, 12 November 2026, with a wide programme of events focused on artificial intelligence, healthcare reform, apprenticeships, literacy and smarter local government services. Listed on gov.ie, the programme brings together departments, public bodies and frontline professionals to share practical examples of innovation.
Organised by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Public Service Transformation Week 2026 is designed to show how digital tools, workforce development and people-centred reform can improve public services.
Public Service Transformation Week 2026: Key Events
The Thursday schedule includes online, in-person, hybrid and internal sessions. Several events are open to public service bodies, while others require an invitation or internal registration.
- Public Service Apprenticeship Employer Symposium: A discussion on using apprenticeships to address current and future skills needs across the Civil and Public Service.
- AI in Action: The Department of Transport will examine responsible AI adoption, governance, staff engagement and practical experimentation.
- HSE Access Accelerator Webinar: Healthcare teams will present initiatives aimed at improving access and reducing waiting times in dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT and plastic surgery.
- St James’s Hospital transformation session: The hospital will outline how Lean visual management and digital tools support patient flow, discharge planning and multidisciplinary decision-making.
- Local authority innovation: Clare County Council will demonstrate GIS applications and dashboards for housing inspections, social housing analysis, tree surveys and other operational services.
AI, Healthcare and Better Public Services
A central theme of Public Service Transformation Week is the practical use of technology without losing sight of public needs. The Department of Transport’s AI webinar will focus on safe and responsible implementation, while the Office of the Attorney General will share internal lessons from using AI in everyday work, including the continuing importance of human judgement.
Healthcare reform also features prominently. The HSE Access Accelerator initiative supports frontline teams testing and scaling improvements in planned care. The Sláintecare webinar will explore access, capacity, quality and the shift of care into community settings, involving the Department of Health, the HSE and other stakeholders.
Skills, literacy and participation
The programme also addresses long-term capacity within public services. The apprenticeship symposium follows strong growth in registrations, with 286 annual apprentice registrations recorded in 2025 compared with 67 in 2022, and 566 apprentices across the Civil and Public Service overall.
A separate SOLAS workshop on family literacy will support teachers, adult literacy educators, library staff and community workers. The session links to the Adult Literacy for Life national plan, which aims to improve reading, writing, numeracy and digital skills.
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What does Public Service Transformation Week aim to achieve?
The initiative provides a knowledge-sharing platform for public servants to learn from projects that can be improved, adapted or replicated elsewhere. From healthcare dashboards and patient-flow systems to AI governance and youth participation in planning, the events emphasise practical change rather than technology alone.
It also reflects the broad reach of Ireland’s public administration, involving organisations such as SOLAS, the HSE, local authorities and the Office of the Attorney General. Other public bodies, including the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána, the NTA and the WRC, operate within the wider public service ecosystem and may draw on similar approaches to skills, data and service improvement.
Takeaway: Public Service Transformation Week 2026 highlights how responsible AI, better workforce planning, healthcare innovation and stronger community participation can help create more accessible and effective public services. Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie