Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Defence the role he envisages for the Defence Forces in addressing cyber-security issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11697/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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This question focuses on the issue of our national security, which nowadays is not just concerned with the security of our communities and Border, but also the security of our cyberspace. Will the Minister focus on the need to develop within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces a dedicated cyber-defence unit? Could the signals intelligence unit be the body to play that role?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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This is a relevant question in the context of the White Paper and the changing security concerns. The growth of cyber threats to critical private, government and defence networks requires a co-ordinated response at national and EU level across member states. There is a need to focus on advanced collaboration between the public and private sectors. The response to the cyber threat remains a whole-of-government challenge, with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources taking the lead role and inputs in the security domain from the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer works closely with Departments in this regard.

Following a Government decision in July 2011, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources established a computer security incident response team, CSIRT, to support Departments and key agencies in responding to cyber incidents, including malicious cyber-attacks that would hamper the integrity of their information systems and harm the interests of the State. The CSIRT also acts as a national point of contact for entities within Ireland and as the point of contact for international discussions on issues of cyber-security. The scope of the body's activities covers prevention, detection, response and mitigation services to Departments, State agencies and critical national infrastructure providers.

The Defence Forces provide twoseconded specialists to assist with the work of this unit. Its work is also supported by an interdepartmental committee on cyber-security, established and chaired by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, that regularly reports progress on cyber-security issues to the Government task force on emergency planning, which I chair in my capacity as the Minister for Defence.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I am surprised and pleased to learn there is a unit within the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources but it is a very well kept secret because today is the first I have heard of it. It is, however, in the Department of Defence that such a unit should be based because the high level of expertise required to secure our cyberspace rests primarily within the Minister's Department. Since it is ultimately a defence issue it is in the Department of Defence that the continued development of the strategy should be focused and led, rather than in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. We all acknowledge the inordinate importance for our economic recovery of companies like Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and so on. Given the huge amount of information the State itself stores about our citizens it is critical that the material be secure.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I agree with all of that. A high level interdepartmental group chaired by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and including senior representatives from the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces is finalising a draft national cybersecurity strategy that will focus on improving cybersecurity capabilities in Ireland. The draft strategy will be published this year by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in consultation with other key departments and agencies. This will provide a framework within which the future contribution of the Defence Forces will be assessed.

The Deputy is right that this is a threat that needs a comprehensive response from Government. The only issue is which Department should be the lead. To date the decision has been that the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources should be the lead Department for cybersecurity but that Department works with other Departments and we in the Department of Defence have a significant input into the strategy, along with the Defence Forces, because we have the necessary capacity. The Deputy needs to wait to see the detail of the cybersecurity strategy and how it will function. He will see that the Government is working on a complete response to the issue.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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My problem with what the Minister has said is that the risk exists now. We have see the hacking of the Twitter account of central command in the US and production was stopped at Intel, in my own county, earlier this year following a bomb threat. Security risks exist now and we need to move urgently to address those risks. It is very much in the broad national interest that we do so, having regard to the importance of information technology to our economy. Can the Minister at least agree that, notwithstanding the well kept secrets within the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, it is within the ranks of the Defence Forces that the primary expertise exists to develop the sort of strategy that we need? Will he, as Minister for Defence, appoint his Department as the lead Department in this area?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I do not accept that other Departments do not have a significant role here. Yes, there is some expertise within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces in this area but there is also a lot of expertise within the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. It deals with a lot of companies in the private sector on cybersecurity issues and has broad experience across the public sector in the area. Every country, Ireland included, is looking at cybersecurity issues as the threat evolves and changes and even the most powerful countries in the world find themselves the victim of hacking and other issues relating to cybersecurity. As the chair of the Government task force on emergency planning, I get regular updates from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on cybersecurity. We are close to finalising a cybersecurity strategy which will have the input of all relevant Departments, including the Department of Defence, and we should be less concerned about who is taking the lead and more concerned about a complete cross-Governmental response. It is a current issue and one which needs a response this year. That is what it will get with the national strategy. The strategy is no secret as it has been worked on for some time.