Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

109. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the implementation of theme 28 (hybrid defence) under the detailed implementation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17687/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In 2024, my Department published the Defence Policy Review, which identified hybrid actions as those conducted by state or non-state actors, whose goal it is to undermine or harm a target by combining overt and covert military and non-military means, including disinformation, cyber-attacks, and economic pressure. The Defence Forces have established a new Joint Cyber Defence Command. This new Command will be able to conduct full-spectrum operations to robustly defend against cyber threats, support Defence Forces operations at home and overseas, and enhance national cyber defence resilience and contingent capabilities. Following the establishment of this Unit, a Defence Forces Cyber-Defence Strategy 2024 to 2027 was published last year. This Strategy sets out a comprehensive road map to ensure that the Defence Forces achieve operational capability in this new domain.

In addition recently my Department, working together with officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, engaged with the Hybrid Centre of Excellence in Helsinki to conduct Ireland's first national-level hybrid emergency response simulation. One of the key objectives of this exercise was to assess current national capabilities to counter hybrid activity in support of societal resilience, this included our defence capabilities.

The key findings of this exercise will be presented to the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, which I chair. The after action report from the exercise will include specific lesson's identified and recommend an improvement plan to further develop Ireland's capability to prepare for, respond to and recover from Hybrid incidents.

I am satisfied that from a Defence perspective we are advancing our understanding of hybrid incidents and moving in a positive direction to contribute to national level resilience in this area.