Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the amendment to today's Order of Business to include statements on the situation in Palestine. Like Senator McDowell, I want to refer to the weekend's cyberattack which was a very serious development. Systems are under attack all of the time but this was a successful attack, at least in terms of breaking through. It is possibly the most significant cyberattack on the Irish State and prompts questions about the robustness of the State's cybersecurity. This goes right to the heart of data and systems security, not to mention the impact it has had on services.

For years now Sinn Féin has included in its alternative budgets the need to significantly invest in improving and modernising ICT systems within the broader health sector. It is for the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, GNCCB, to pursue the criminal element but there is a need for this to have minimal impact on health services as we move ahead. Some hospitals had to cancel many services and clinics and there will be significant ongoing disruption, potentially for a number of days or weeks, if not months. Clarity is needed from the HSE on the timing of the reopening of services and the Government must ensure that any additional supports or protections needed are resourced now. We need to know how this happened, the source of the attack, how the systems were impacted and how it can be prevented from happening again. There is a need to focus on ensuring that robust security is in place to fully protect the system and prevent future attacks like this from being successful. There must be a review of the HSE's and the State's cyber defences. It is equally important that services resume as quickly as possible. Healthcare workers are facing a difficult enough situation already with Covid-19 and waiting lists and further disruption will create a very challenging environment.

We need to consider an enhanced role for the Defence Forces in cybersecurity. Earlier this year my party colleagues, Deputies Brady and Clarke, made a comprehensive submission to the Commission on the Defence Forces which included an extensive set of recommendations on the expansion and enhancement of the capacity of the Defence Forces to defend the State against cyberattacks. The events of the last couple of days have illustrated the importance of this beyond any doubt.

There is a definitive need to develop the technology and software systems necessary to reduce our dependency on external systems. Sinn Féin believes that the Government must identify the key strategic, technical and operational procedures required to develop our capacity to act independently of external partners. Adequate training also needs to be introduced in the field of cybersecurity in order to enhance and maintain highly effective, professional staff in the field. The sustainability of any cybersecurity system will depend on adequate investment in this area. The role of a revamped, cutting-edge Defence Forces cyber unit is critical in preventing cyberattacks but this can only happen if the State has the ability to recruit and retain the necessary personnel. This is a cross-cutting issue and we should have statements in this House on it as soon as possible, particularly on the next steps and the longer-term strategic response.