Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to combat the scam telephone calls and text messages that are being received in relation to her Department’s services. [35384/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department responds actively to perceived and actual cyber and scam threats that could affect Department services. It receives alerts from several sources, including the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and responds quickly to mitigate known threats. My staff, where necessary, are advised by email and SMS alerts of the measures needed to be taken in such events.

The response to cyber threats remains a whole-of-Government challenge, with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment taking the lead role and with inputs in the security domain from An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces.

Ireland’s NCSC, which is located in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment provides a range of cyber security services to owners of Government ICT infrastructure and critical national infrastructure. The NCSC is also home to the National Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) which acts as a national point of contact involving entities within Ireland, and as the point of contact for international discussions and collaboration on issues of cyber security. The scope of CSIRT's activities covers prevention, detection, response and mitigation services to Departments and State agencies and critical national infrastructure providers.