Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and for giving me the opportunity to address it. I will take the questions he has raised today back to the Minister and departmental officials. As I outlined previously, the HSE has implemented additional controls to monitor and manage threats to the HSE network, including additional staff training and a strengthening of identity and access management processes and controls. There has been an additional allocation of €55 million in the service plan for 2024 to enhance cybersecurity.

The Department of Health is informed that the HSE has worked with international and national cybersecurity experts to protect against future attacks. It should be remembered that the HSE has also obtained a High Court order following the ransomware attack in May 2021 restraining any sharing, processing, selling or publishing of data illegally accessed and copied from computer systems. This order remains in place to prevent anyone from using any of the illegally accessed and copied information. HSE cybersecurity experts have also been monitoring the Internet, including the dark web, since the cyberattack back in May 2021. This continuing threat will need to be mitigated by ongoing and sustained investment to strengthen cyber-resilience and ensure a secure foundation to build our technology, data and health information on.

Again, I will take the questions the Senator raised with me today back to the Minister for a further response.