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

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. It is fair to say we have witnessed a fundamental change in our security environment in the last year with a renewed focus on maritime security and the protection of subsea cables. Protecting them on an ongoing basis is not a task that Ireland can shoulder alone. It requires international co-operation, shared responsibilities and mutual trust. About 97% of all Internet traffic is now subsea.

Ireland is a strong proponent of the important role the European Union can play in support of international peace and security and of the United Nations. It is essential, therefore, that Ireland remains fully engaged in all common security and defence policy processes and contributes fully to the development of the policy in order that we can influence its evolution. It is in this context we have been enhancing our engagement with the Permanent Structured Cooperation, PESCO, which we joined in 2017. While our level of engagement is still modest by EU standards, we are participating in four PESCO projects and have observer status on 19. Two of the projects in which we are full participants are in the maritime space and we are observers on a further two maritime-related projects.

On 23 May 2023, I attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in defence Ministers configuration, where we adopted a fifth wave of collaborative projects within the PESCO framework. Of particular relevance is the new critical seabed infrastructure protection project, which aims at increasing the European Union's operational efficiency in the protection of critical maritime infrastructure by making best use of current, and the development of future, underwater assets. Together with the Defence Forces, my Department is actively examining this project with a view to moving to observer status. Under the programme for Government, full participation in PESCO projects requires Government and Dáil approval.

In terms of improving our interoperability across all three domains, namely, land, sea and air, our membership of NATO’s Partnership for Peace has been invaluable. We have been members since 1999. Ireland is in the process of renewing its partnership through the individually tailored partnership programme mechanism. This framework presents an opportunity to enhance our co-operation in relevant areas of choice, including such areas as improved maritime situational awareness.

The upcoming consultative forum on international security policy, which is being jointly hosted by the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs, will provide an opportunity to have honest and open debate to examine whether our current policy approach remains fit for purpose. An important part of the forum's discussions will cover the current threat environment that Ireland faces, including in relation to threats to critical infrastructure, including subsea infrastructure.

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