Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to respond first to the Deputy's question on cybersecurity. The Department of Defence is represented at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The centre is not actually run by NATO but is accredited by it. I was there last year. It is important that we are part of that endeavour because it deals at a very high level with all sorts of scenario planning in terms of what can happen when there are cyberattacks on utilities, states and so on. It is a whole-of-government challenge.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications takes the lead role through the National Cyber Security Centre, with inputs in the security domain from An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the National Security Analysis Centre. We have made a lot of progress on cybersecurity in terms of investment and collaborating with other states across the world in respect of these issues, not least by sharing our experience of recent attacks on our health service. An Garda Síochána and others involved have been following through on those attacks and doing good investigative work that has been of use to the wider international community in looking at cybersecurity.

On the litigation and compensation question, we have not factored in any potential litigation in respect of the independent review, which will include a number of recommendations. There is some distance to go yet in that regard and it is not captured by the 2023 Estimates in any significant way.