John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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885. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total spend by her Department and the agencies under her remit on cybersecurity measures since 2019 to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51179/22]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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887. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proportion of her Department’s IT data that is stored in the cloud; the proportion of the data held by all agencies and subsidiaries of her Department in the cloud; if this represents an improvement; if so, the development that has been made towards cloud storage since 2019 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51203/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 885 and 887 together.

My Department's ICT managed services are provided by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO).

The OGCIO implements a multi-layered approach to cyber security and to protecting ICT systems, infrastructures and services. The OGCIO builds resilience into its ICT solutions as a matter of course, and has disaster recovery plans and sites in a Government Data Centre. Disaster recovery forms part of the overarching Business Continuity framework for their clients including my Department.

For operational and security reasons no details can be disclosed in relation to cyber security tools and services or the costs associated with same.

I am advised that in terms of cyber security strategies, the OGCIO also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre which is a division of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and encompasses the State's national/governmental Computer Security Incident Response Team.

As regards cloud based services, my Department is currently working towards a transformation of the processes that support the delivery of its services using digitalisation and data to provide an integrated experience for our customers and policy makers, and this is outlined in my Department's ICT strategy. In line with Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland's Public Service, this will include the full consideration of the role of cloud based services for both current and any future systems.

Currently my Department uses Cloud-based Internal Audit Management Software. In addition, the TidyTowns competition uses File Cloud as a vehicle for sharing data with external entities involved in delivering the competition. Once the competition cycle passes each year, this material is deleted.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund also uses Filecloud to receive applications. This has led to a more efficient application process. It is not used to save material, merely as a vehicle to receive and forward information. The information is ultimately stored on the Department's own internal Edocs system.

The Department has also used the SharePoint platform for the purposes of delivering the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and to facilitate work on the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy.

There are 4 agencies under the aegis of my Department: Pobal, The Charities Regulatory Authority, Water Safety Ireland, and the Western Development Commission. They are all independent agencies who manage their own IT and corporate matters, corporate compliance/policies, and staffing issues.