Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

How does one follow that, a Leas-Chathaoirligh?

I thank the 19 Members for their contributions to the Order of Business. I agree with Senator Ardagh on the issue of homelessness and that reform needs to continue in this area to address the availability and supply of social housing, as well as affordability. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House on this issue. The issue of cyber security gained national and international prominence over the weekend. I commend the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, for their proactivity with the staff of the IT department in the HSE. The Minister, Deputy Naughten, brought a memorandum to the Government this morning setting out the events and the issues in terms of how this country deals with them. The national cyber security centre at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has been proactive and worked strongly over the weekend. I know from talking to people who were brought into work in the HSE over the weekend that the work was taken very seriously. Thankfully, there has been regular communication and contact over the weekend. I used the word "proactivity" and there was strong work done by the HSE. I commend all the staff in the IT department.

Obviously it is a matter on which we must be vigilant. We must work to ensure that all parts of our ICT are safe. At a personal level for all of us it is about how we can ensure we are not open to interception of our emails or any of our activity online. Equally, there is a collective responsibility on the part of the State in regard to cyber security. We have seen media reports of other interactions in elections in America and the attack on the NHS at the weekend. However, I commend the Minister on his work. The issue Senator Ardagh raises in terms of small businesses is one that requires a whole-of-government approach. She is correct that these people are at the coalface and are not, perhaps, able to tap into the Government, as in the case of the HSE.