Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The cyber security aspect of it is something we need to really focus on. As with the HSE in Ireland, when we look at other jurisdictions we see some of these hackers and criminal organisations target water distribution systems and electricity systems. We have had blackouts recently; my own electricity only came back yesterday so we understand what it is like when we have vital services like this under attack. Most of the systems are computerised and based on data. We need to have an efficient and effective force in place to ensure that we can protect the organisations and that there is oversight to ensure those protection mechanisms are in place. It has a hugely detrimental effect on the general public if we have these types of attacks because they involve huge disruptions not just to be economy but to people's lives in some cases. We only have to think of the effects on health systems where they have been attacked before in this regard. It is vital that ComReg gets the staff it requires to do this and as the Minister of State said, it is under consideration. I welcome that but I hope that the considerations do not take very long.

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