Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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249. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline in general terms the discussions that he or his Department have had with other EU and non-EU states concerning the safety of transatlantic cables or energy pipelines that are located in Irish maritime waters. [18827/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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It is my Department’s policy position to strongly encourage and boost investment in Ireland’s national and international subsea telecommunications connectivity. This position is underpinned by the National Development Plan and the National Digital Strategy, ‘Harnessing Digital – the Digital Ireland Framework’, which both respectively highlight the importance of supporting and enhancing high-quality, secure and reliable connectivity to global networks.

In terms of the safety of such telecoms cables, officials from my Department have been working intensively with European colleagues to identify and address potential risks. On 21 February 2024 the European Commission published Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 addressing the security and resilience of submarine cable infrastructures. On foot of this, the Commission set up a Submarine Cable Infrastructure Informal Expert Group made up of representatives from Member States which provides advice and expertise to the Commission on the mapping of submarine cable infrastructure, allows for the exchange of information between Member States, conducts Union-wide risk assessments as well as providing advice on the development of maintenance and repair capacity for subsea cables.

A ‘Cable Security Toolbox’ of mitigating measures is being developed that Member States will be encouraged to adopt to reduce risks, vulnerabilities and dependencies. It is also intended that a priority list of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEI) will be identified that would fill the gap in submarine cable infrastructures evidenced by the mapping exercise. The objective of CPEI is to establish new or alternative secure routes, or to increase the capacity and resilience of existing submarine cable infrastructures. It is anticipated that the current work programme of the Expert Group will be concluded by the end of this year.

The most significant parts of Ireland’s undersea energy infrastructure are the gas pipelines between Ireland and the UK. These are managed and operated on behalf of the State by Gas Networks Ireland (GNI). GNI work with relevant agencies and Departments within the State, including the Defence Forces, in conjunction with relevant counterparts in the UK, regarding the protection of these key energy infrastructure assets. It would not be appropriate for me to discuss security related matters in this regard, but it should be noted that the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence has advised that his Department is progressing a new national Maritime Security Strategy.

The Deputy might wish to note that last December Exercise Cathal took place in the National Emergency Coordination Centre (NECC). This table-top exercise tested the whole of government response to a prolonged gas outage in Ireland as a result of the two gas interconnectors being compromised. The Exercise was attended by over 80 representatives from all Government Departments and agencies. The learnings and recommendations from the Exercise were presented to the Government Task Force (GTF) on Emergency Planning on 11 March 2025, chaired by the Tanaiste and Minister for Defence. Since Exercise Cathal in December, the Government has progressed the establishment of a Strategic Emergency Gas Reserve, which will serve as an appropriate insurance policy against the impact of any such incident.