Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While the primary role of the Defence Forces with regard to cybersecurity relates to the defence and security of their own networks and systems, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces are committed to participating under the leadership of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications on the delivery of measures to improve the cybersecurity of the State. This is being done in line with the programme for Government commitment to implement the national cybersecurity strategy, recognising the potential and important role of the Defence Forces. This is why officials in the Department and members of the Defence Forces work so closely with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and other Departments and agencies to support measures to deal with these challenges. I want to highlight that at present, a member of the Defence Forces is seconded to the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn in Estonia.

The issues the Deputy raised at the committee and that she has raised again today are very much central to the consideration of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. I have spoken to the chair about this and I expect the commission to come back with some very clear recommendations on cybersecurity because we know this is an evolving, developing and increasing threat all the time and we have to have a response capacity and infrastructure to deal with it.

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