Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The document to which I refer states, "So long as Ireland remains socially and economically married to the vital but delicate network of glass laying just offshore, it is high time we considered protecting it". Does the Minister of State accept that these cables are a soft military target? The analysis demonstrates that they are the digital ecosystem of the globe. For him to deflect responsibility to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is a really worrying development. He should take this document on board, look at the gaps and weaknesses it highlights and enhance the role of the Naval Service to address them. The naval diving section is at a strength of just 33%. How can that service, with docked ships, monitor important lines of communication at sea? To say that the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has responsibility in this regard is a worryingly siloed approach to Government. It is not a whole-of-Government approach to Defence Forces capability. This is a serious document which reflects a geopolitical weakness on Ireland's part which could affect global communications. The fact that the Minister of State at the Department of Defence is talking about the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment shows that this is not getting the serious analysis it deserves. It should not take a terrorist incident for us to start getting serious about defence.

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