Written answers
Wednesday, 5 November 2025
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Weather Events
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress that has been made in view of the impact of storm Éowyn regarding the reduction of severe weather impacts on critical infrastructure and essential services, including the telecommunications networks; if he will outline the investment plans in place for 2026 to strengthen such networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60309/25]
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment given the reference in the National Risk Assessment 2024 in relation to disruptions to the availability of critical infrastructure including the telecommunications networks due to the occurrence of extreme weather events, if he will outline the investment plans in place to strengthen such networks; if it is proposed to implement regulatory or legislative changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60459/25]
Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 120 together.
The National Risk Assessment 2024 highlights extreme weather as a key environmental risk facing Ireland over the short, medium and long term. As I noted in my previous reply to Question 1060 on 8 September, telecommunication networks provide a key infrastructure underpinning our modern digital society and economy. As such, reducing the impact of service outages owing to the impacts of extreme weather events is a key area of focus for my Department.
Through a newly formed Telecommunications Response and Resilience Group (T-RRG), chaired by my Department, the sector is working together to:
- improve the physical and power resilience of networks
- coordinate and communicate more effectively during emergencies
- prioritise key infrastructure to provide minimum levels of connectivity during emergencies
- Reviewing the power requirements of sites
- Acquiring additional back up battery and generator capacity
- Preventative network maintenance
- Enhancing redundancy with back-up routes to their core networks
- Accelerating the use of satellites to provide additional resilience
Regarding regulatory or legislative changes, regulations transposing the European Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive came into effect on 17 October 2024. The CER Directive applies to the Digital Infrastructure sector, in addition to many others, and officials in the Department of Defence are leading on the development of strategies to give effect to the directive.
Separately, my Department has liaised with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for provisions to be included in the draft National Cyber Security Bill which would amend both the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 and Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Act 2023 to ensure that my existing powers in relation to resilience and information gathering during incidences are retained and enhanced.
Other provisions in the forthcoming National Cyber Security Bill, which transposes the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2), will bring further positive changes to network resilience requirements.
ComReg has been designated as the National Competent Authority for both CER and NIS2 as they apply to critical entities in the Digital Infrastructure sector.
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