Dr. Richard Browne:

I will ask Mr. Stephens to give a very brief outline of what is in that recently published note. Just before members go into the detail of the guidance to the political system, it is important to point out we have done a huge amount of work for many years on electoral security with the Oireachtas and with partners across the Government. It is important to note that in the first instance, this is a serious issue. It is often the case that politicians themselves and political parties are the primary targets. They are the ones in the public domain; we are not, for the most part.

I think it is also important to note that I would not overestimate the extent to which this really a cybersecurity issue. Very often, it is a cognitive issue. The people who are seeking to disrupt elections very seldom do that by cyber means. They do it by changing what people think about elections. If we panic and overstate the risks, we are actually playing into the hands of those who would seek to do this. Democracy can be protected in lots of different ways. Being calm about the risks is one of the ways that can happen. Would Mr. Stephens like to give a brief high-level outline of the recently published note?