Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We often think of cyberattacks as only affecting major corporations and public services but to the contrary, a report last October showed that more than 70% of Irish businesses suffered cyberattacks in the previous 12 months, and that represented an increase of more than 20% on the previous year.

Cybersecurity and protection of IT systems, data systems and communication networks are vitally important to the economy and all of society. The trend towards an increase in the use of digital and cloud technologies in both the public and private sectors has been under way for some time. As we all know, Covid-19 has accelerated this trend, transforming much of how we live and work. I raised with the Minister, Deputy Harris, previously the need to have the trained personnel and infrastructure to protect these systems. The risk of failures in cybersecurity can lead to massive disruption to critical infrastructure. The necessity to address this risk rises as the extent to which society relies on digital technology increases.

The Taoiseach will have often heard me constantly repeat in this House the need for collaboration on an all-Ireland basis in the whole area of the further development of further and higher education. With the evolution of new cyberprogrammes, maybe we should be looking at it in the all-Ireland context. There is collaboration at further and higher education level but there is always scope to do more. I know from a visit to the college of further education in Enniskillen-----

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