Ireland has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides a comprehensive framework for data protection that applies to all EU Member States. Ireland implemented the GDPR in 2018 through the Data Protection Act.

Under the EU Directive on Data Retention, operators were required to retain certain categories of traffic and location data (excluding the content of those communications) for a period between six months and two years and to make them available, on request, to law enforcement authorities for the purposes of investigating, detecting and prosecuting serious crime and terrorism. On 8 April 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union declared the Directive invalid. However, not all national laws that implemented the Directive have been overturned.
Despite the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Ireland retains its data retention laws under the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011. This act details cases where personal data must be stored for a minimum of between 12 to 35 months, depending on the category (Section 3), to be made accessible to government authorities when requested (Section 6). The Act covers both telephony and mobile telephony data as well as Internet access, Internet e-mail and Internet telephony data.

Section 6 of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 allows members of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of chief superintendent, officers of the Permanent Defence Force not below the rank of colonel, and officers of the Revenue Commissioners not below the rank of principal officer to request the disclosure of data without a warrant in certain circumstances.

The Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive) is the legal basis governing the liability of Internet Services Providers (ISPs) in the EU Member States and includes a conditional safe harbour. Not all Member States have transposed the relevant articles consistently, leading to divergent national case law that could cause legal insecurity on an EU level.
Statutory Instrument No.68 implements Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive), establishing a conditional safe harbour for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Ireland. The conditions prohibit any infringements of third-party rights, including rights relating to copyright or intellectual property, rights to which the law of defamation and malicious falsehood relate and rights under contract (Art. 15). The safe harbour is further delimited to certain activities - conduit, batching and hosting (Arts. 16–18) - carried out by internet intermediaries, rather than categories of service providers.

The Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive) is the legal basis governing the liability of Internet Services Providers (ISPs) in the EU Member States and includes a conditional safe harbour. Not all Member States have transposed the relevant articles consistently, leading to divergent national case law that could cause legal insecurity on an EU level.
Statutory Instrument No.68 implements Directive 2000/31/EC (E-Commerce Directive), establishing a conditional safe harbour for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Ireland. The conditions prohibit any infringements of third-party rights, including rights relating to copyright or intellectual property, rights to which the law of defamation and malicious falsehood relate and rights under contract (Art. 15). The safe harbour is further delimited to certain activities - conduit, batching and hosting (Arts. 16–18) - carried out by internet intermediaries, rather than categories of service providers.

Art. 17 of Directive 2019/790 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (DSM Directive) mandates that providers of content-sharing services seek authorisation from rights holders and implement technical solutions to remove and prevent unauthorised uploads by their users (so-called upload filters), under penalty of losing their liability safe harbour. Further arrangements are envisaged for complaints and dispute resolution mechanisms. Such upload filters are reported to be a significant cost for online platforms. Graduated exemptions are expected to be put in place for new providers active in the EU for less than three years with a turnover under EUR 10 million and with fewer than five million users. The provision is subject to a challenge in the Court of Justice by Poland (C-401/19).
To implement Directive 2019/790, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has signed the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market) Regulations 2021, therefore making online content-sharing service providers partially liable for copyright violations on their platforms.

The EU Directive on Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) covers traditional broadcasting services as well as audiovisual media services provided on-demand, including via the Internet. Art. 13.1 provides for Member States to secure a minimum 30% share of European works in the catalogues as well as "ensuring prominence" of those works. "Prominence" involves promoting European works by facilitating access to such works using any appropriate means to ensure their prominence. The Directive has been implemented by Member States in different ways, ranging from very extensive and detailed measures to a mere reference to the general obligation to promote European works.
In Ireland, the EU Directive was transposed into domestic law through the amendment of the Broadcasting Act of March 2023 (Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022). According to Section 159B of the Act, a media service provider under the jurisdiction of the State must not offer an audiovisual on-demand media service if the share of European works in its catalogue is less than 30%. Ireland has not implemented financial contribution obligations to VOD service providers.

Irish law allows foreign companies to operate in the country after registration under the Companies Act 2014. Any foreign incorporated company establishing a branch in Ireland is required to file certain documents with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). It is reported that any foreign company with a branch in Ireland has the same standing under Irish law for contract purposes as a domestic company incorporated in Ireland. In addition, it is reported that there are currently no general restrictions governing FDI in Ireland, no limits on the percentage of foreign ownership permitted, no requirement that Irish nationals must hold shares in Irish companies, and no restrictions on the purchase of land for industrial purposes by foreigners.

Section 137 of the Companies Act 2014 states that every Irish company must have at least one director who is resident in the European Economic Area (EEA) unless either:
- The company has filed a non-resident bond to the value of EUR 25,000 with the Companies Registration Office;
- The company holds a certificate from the Companies Registration Office confirming that the company has a real and continuous link with one or more economic activities in Ireland.

Ireland is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Directive 2001/29/EC defines an optional but exhaustive set of limitations from the author´s exclusive rights under the control of the “three-step test” in line with the Berne Convention that establishes three cumulative conditions to the limitations and exceptions of a copyright holder’s rights. The Directive has been transposed by Member States with significant freedom.
Ireland has a clear regime of copyright exceptions that follows the fair dealing model, allowing others to make lawful use of copyrighted works without obtaining permission. The Copyright and Related Rights Act of 2000 specifies that no copyright infringement occurs in several instances, including fair dealing for research or private study, as well as fair dealing for criticism, review, or news reporting.

The European Union and Ireland have adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty. The treaty was ratified on 14 December 2009 and came into effect on 14 March 2010.

The European Union and Ireland have adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty. The treaty was ratified on 14 December 2009 and came into effect on 14 March 2010.

The Directive 2016/943 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) is key in harmonising national laws concerning trade secrets. Ireland transposed the Directive through the European Union (Protection of Trade Secrets) Regulations 2018.