Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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166. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update as of July 2025 on the Programme for Government commitment to ensure full delivery of the new Joint Cyber Defence Command strategy published by the last Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38363/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that 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.

The assignment of Defence Forces specialist posts has been approved to kick start the operation of this Unit, which is headed up by an officer of General rank.

I should also mention that officials from my Department and the Defence Forces work closely with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), in their capacity as lead government department for cyber security in Ireland, to support measures to address cyber challenges.

I am satisfied that from a Defence perspective we are developing a positive trajectory to ensure that the new Cyber Command Unit is well positioned to meet the ambitious targets set out in the Cyber Strategy.