Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for his contribution to the House on this important topic. Cyberthreats remain a persistent concern across a number of sectors globally. The disruption they cause to services, particularly during a pandemic, is devastating. It is galling that cyberattacks prey on our public healthcare system and our patients, and on some of the most vulnerable people in the State. I assure the Senator that my Department, and the HSE as the key target of the cyberattack in May, are working closely with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre and its partners to strengthen ICT infrastructure and ensure that health services are resilient to future cyber-incidents.

As well as working with my colleagues in the Government to improve cyber-resilience at national level, my Department is also engaged at EU level to ensure robust cyber-resilience in all EU member states through the implementation of the national information security directive and the proposed critical entities resilience directive, which deal with the protection and resilience of critical entities such as health service providers.

In conclusion, I acknowledge the staff and colleagues in my Department, the HSE and other Departments and Government agencies who worked tirelessly during the ransomware attack to make sure that our health services were restored and, most importantly, that patients got the urgent care they needed.