Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a public consultation is planned in 2025 on the preparation of a new National Cyber Security Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27837/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s National Cyber Security Strategy, published in 2019, came to a close at the end of 2024 and preparations for the successor strategy are underway.

The 2019 strategy set out 20 collaborative measures to enhance the cyber security and resilience of public bodies, providers of essential services, businesses and households, to support the continued development of the cyber security industry and research community, and to ensure Ireland plays an active role in international discussions on the security and stability of a free and open cyberspace.

A public consultation paper on the National Cyber Security Strategy Mid-Term Review was launched in December of 2022, providing a brief account of progress to date. The public consultation concluded following receipt of 30 written submissions and a series of webinars and meetings with key stakeholders hosted by my Department.

All submissions were reviewed, and my Department engaged with relevant government departments and agencies to develop 18 new measures for the remaining years of the strategy (by end of 2024).

This review lays the groundwork for an ambitious successor to this Strategy for the post-2024 period, which will fulfil the State’s obligations as set out in the EU Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2). Officials in my Department are engaging with other departments and relevant stakeholders with a view to having a new National Cyber Security Strategy published by the end of 2025 post a public consultation.

Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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24. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on the drafting of the National Cyber Security Bill 2024; if pre-legislative scrutiny is planned in relation to the general scheme already published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27838/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The National Cyber Security Bill is the legislative vehicle which transposes the revised Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) and provides the provisions that places National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a statutory footing. Substantial work has been completed by my Department on the transposition of the NIS2 Directive. NIS2 is a complex piece of legislation requiring a complete overhaul of existing cyber security legislation and the transposition of this Directive is a critical step forward for Ireland in enhancing our national and cyber security posture. It will mean we are better placed to ensure the resilience of our critical entities and infrastructure and protect Irish citizens from the ever-present threat of cyber attacks.

NIS2 represents a significant broadening and deepening of the regulatory framework established in the first NIS Directive including:

• Wider Scope: NIS2 covers many more sectors, including public administration, waste management and manufacturing.
• Stricter Requirements: NIS2 imposes more specific and stringent cyber security obligations on organisations, including risk management, incident reporting, and supply chain security.
• Stronger Enforcement: NIS2 introduces stricter supervision and enforcement mechanisms, with potential for significant fines for non-compliance.
• Increased Co-operation: NIS2 promotes greater information sharing and cooperation among member states and relevant authorities to enhance collective cyber security resilience.