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

I thank the Deputies for their questions. Deputy Tóibín raised the issue of cyberattacks. These are a clear risk to the country. Cybersecurity is vitally important to our economy and to wider society. The attack on our health system last year had a devastating impact on health services, particularly on front-line services with regard to access to scans and so on. It also had an impact on patient care for that period and on senior HSE staff who worked around the clock to try to deal with the issue. Additional funding has been provided. The national cybersecurity strategy sets out a framework and a range of measures for protecting the State from cyber threats through building up infrastructure and capacity in that area.

The NCSC is responsible for a range of measures to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure and public sector ICT. It also manages the State's incident response process. It works with the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána. It is now working on a detailed risk assessment of critical infrastructure vulnerabilities in the State.

We are prioritising expanding our cybersecurity and resilience infrastructure and increasing resources in that regard. The Government has agreed a package of measures that will ensure the continued development and expansion of the National Cyber Security Centre, NCSC, including increasing its staff complement to 45 by the end of this year.

Regarding the point made by Deputy Kelly on territorial waters, the broader issue concerning the situation with Russia and Ukraine is a serious one. We appeal for a de-escalation of tensions in respect of the massing of thousands upon thousands of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. There are fundamental principles at stake here as a country, including a rules-based international order, which is what Ireland is about. Deputy Boyd Barrett said we are about lining up with NATO. We are not. We are for a rules-based international order, first and foremost. That is Ireland's principle, and Russia should acknowledge that too, as well as the territorial integrity of states, democracy and peaceful co-operation. Ireland wants a diplomatic resolution not just to this situation but also to the illegal annexation of Crimea. That is the Irish position. We have updated our travel advice. We are recommending that citizens avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine.

Regarding the proposed Russian activities within our exclusive zone and territorial waters, legally and technically they are entitled to do that. This is not, however, a regular occurrence at all, despite what has been said. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, has spoken to the Russian Ambassador and made it very clear that the Government is very unhappy and does not welcome this development. The Minister attended a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, FAC, yesterday, where Russia's continued aggression and threats against Ukraine was condemned. I like to think that is something on which the entire House could agree unanimously. Russia was called on to de-escalate, to abide by international law and to engage constructively in dialogue through the established international mechanisms.

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