Results 9,601-9,620 of 26,043 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: We look forward to putting questions to you, Mr. O'Reilly. Ms Carolan is an expert in cybersecurity, particularly on the recruitment of experts. We will hear her opening statement in the context of the director position that is currently vacant in the NCSC and what that role involves. I thank her for joining us. She has approximately five minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Thank you, Ms Carolan. You have certainly given us food for thought. The range of €220,000 to €290,000 is far off the €89,000 being mentioned and reported in the media. We look forward to questioning you in that regard. We will move to Mr. Walsh, the chair of Cyber Ireland. I thank Mr. Walsh and his colleague, Mr. Byrne, again for coming at such short notice. We deem...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: If the witnesses have prepared statements they might provide them to the clerk so that we can distribute them among members. Mr. Walsh quoted figures and percentages that would be interesting to us. If he has compiled those figures together we can deal with them as we go along.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I move to my own spot now. I thank all the witnesses for being here. This is a critical time for cybersecurity, and especially in Ireland. I have questions for Mr. O'Reilly and Mr. Larkin. Why were the systems of the HSE and Department of Health attacked? Is there any particular reason for that to have happened? How is Ireland perceived in respect of its level of cybersecurity?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I compliment Mr. O'Reilly on his choice of reading, because I can see volumes by Samuel Beckett and James Joyce in his background. I had a quick look at the time, and Mr. O'Reilly was probably up at an ungodly hour. It is probably 4 a.m. in the US, so I thank him for contributing to this committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Would that involve state organisations in America paying ransoms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does Mr. O'Reilly agree with the policy to not pay?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I ask Mr. Larkin to address why hackers went after our HSE and Department of Health systems now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Excellent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: In his opening statement, Mr. Larkin stated that politically and socially, we need to move to a national defence mindset, with our national cybersecurity as one of the key pillars of our defence. What do we need to do differently? Mr. Larkin spoke about the terrible Covid-19 virus which has quietly been attacking the world. We are now facing this other form of a virus. What do we need to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Currently there is an annual budget of €5 million going into the national cybersecurity centre. Is that sufficient?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is ten times what we are spending at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I have a brief question for Ms Carolan. She estimated that the salary for the vacant post of director of the National Cyber Security Centre should be in the order of €220,000 to €290,000, with benefits. It has been speculated in the media that the current salary for the post is around €89,000. Can Ms Carolan explain why she has recommended the salary of €220,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Deputy Ó Murchú asked Mr. Walsh about skill sets, the throughput of graduates and so forth.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: I call Senator Horkan, who has seven minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cybersecurity: Discussion (25 May 2021)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes.