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

I thank the Taoiseach for his response. Will the Taoiseach indicate the position on the prioritisation of those threats? Probably one of the growing and most significant threats relates to cybersecurity. Will the Taoiseach indicate the degree to which the national security committee has taken action to prepare the State in respect of potential cyberattacks? We know what happened in Britain, where the health service was overwhelmed. We know other countries, especially eastern European countries, have had their systems paralysed as a result of a cyberattacks. Often, these attacks are perpetrated by other nations and criminal conglomerates. Does the State have a programme of investment to enhance its cybersecurity measures?

Will the Taoiseach indicate where Ireland ranks now for a potential terrorist threat of the kind we have witnessed in London and the United States carried out by ISIS or others and the nature of our vulnerability? Will the Taoiseach give an indication of the dissident threat and how vigilant the Garda and the Army are in that regard? How concerned are they?

The Taoiseach took a decision to get a staff member to photograph him chairing the national security cabinet committee so that it could be tweeted. I gather the Taoiseach took umbrage the last time this was raised, taking the view that we are all back in the analogue era – we are not.

Officials and key personnel will change from time to time, depending on the nature of the crisis. Is the Taoiseach certain that security would not be compromised in some circumstances given the nature of the personnel who would be present? My concern relates to cybersecurity.

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