Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a possibility of mobile phone and broadband blackouts this winter which could leave people unable to make emergency calls in the event of power cuts and if he has consulted the telecommunications industry on risks and mitigation. [52470/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Operators of public communications networks or publicly available electronic communications services are obliged under S.I. No. 333/2011 – European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Framework) Regulations 2011 to take appropriate technical and organisational measures to appropriately manage the risks posed to security of networks and services. In particular, measures shall be taken to prevent and minimise the impact of security incidents on users and interconnected networks.

I understand that ComReg engaged with operators of public communications networks and publicly available electronic communications services in October 2021 as a consequence of the risk of possible power outages last winter. The purpose of this engagement was to ensure operators were factoring into their risk assessments the increased risk of power outages across the national grid. ComReg continues to engage with such operators, particularly in light of the European energy crisis. From this engagement, ComReg understands that operators have and continue to factor the risk of power outages into their business continuity plans (BCPs) and risk management.

The Emergency Call Answering Service has on-site diesel generators in its call centres in Ballyshannon and Navan for use in case of a power outage.My Department has set up an Energy Security Emergency Group under the National Energy Security Framework.  This group ensures that emergency plans are in place, are stress-tested and are up-to-date.  Emergency training exercises (to test these plans) have been ongoing over many years, as part of regular and ongoing contingency planning.