Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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115. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures his Department is taking in order to improve and strengthen Ireland’s cybersecurity defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21037/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has the lead role in relation to cybersecurity while the primary responsibility of the Defence Forces relates to the defence and security of their own networks and systems.

The Defence Forces and the Department of Defence work with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on an on-going basis in the delivery of measures to improve the cyber security of the State, as outlined in the National Cyber Security Strategy. This includes participation on the inter-departmental National Cyber Strategy Implementation Group, the provision of support to the National Cyber Security Centre and the secondment, through the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, of a member of the Defence Forces to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The Defence Forces are also members of, or observers to, a number of cyber-related PESCO projects.

This important role the Defence Forces undertakes is being developed in the context of the High Level Action Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and will grow in importance as threats in the cyber space increase.