Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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350. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment given threats to EU critical infrastructure arising from geopolitical developments and the subsequent attacks on pipelines in European jurisdictions, if up-to-date mapping information is available on Ireland’s undersea communications infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49676/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The threats to EU critical infrastructure arising from geopolitical developments and the subsequent attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 resulted in my Department engaging with the owners of subsea telecommunications cables to obtain up-to-date mapping information. This information was made available to the appropriate authorities.

My Department understands that large volume users have a policy of using a number of subsea cables to transmit their data bound for international destinations. This is to ensure route diversity for international connectivity and to avoid an over reliance on individual cables, therefore delivering high resilience and reliability. Cable owners have designed their systems so that they will still be able to continue to provide international communications services, even in the event that one of the cables is taken out of service due to damage.

At EU level, officials from my Department are engaging in the Expert Group delivering on the objectives of Recommendation (EU) 2024/779 on Secure and Resilient Submarine Cable Infrastructures, notably: cable infrastructure mapping, risk assessments, stress tests, development of a Cables Security Toolbox and identification of Cable Projects of European Interest. An EU-wide mapping and coordinated risk assessment of submarine cable infrastructures has been agreed by the Expert Group and will be published in Autumn 2025.

In February 2025, the EU Action Plan on Cable Security was published which presented a range of measures to bolster the resilience of this critical infrastructure, addressing prevention, detection, response, recovery and deterrence. Agreeing on the infrastructure mapping and coordinated risk assessment is the first key building block in implementing the EU Action Plan on Cable Security. This EU-wide guidance will help ensure that these infrastructures that we all depend on are secure and resilient.