Shay Brennan: Europe must bolster defences amid Russian cyber threat

Thank you, Gerlach. Taoiseach, during recent European Council meetings I understand Ireland has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine's bid for fast-tracked EU membership. Could you elaborate on the specific role Ireland has played in these discussions? Have you proposed any concrete measures or timelines to facilitate Ukraine's integration into the EU, especially given the challenges of aligning with EU standards while the country is still at war? And additionally, how does Ireland balance its support for Ukraine with the concerns of other candidate countries, who may have been waiting to progress their accession process for many years? Thank you. Thank you. So I thank all the deputies, Deputy Martin – sorry, I think I kind of responded to Deputy O'Carue, I think essentially Deputy Daley. I agree with you in terms of what you have said. We do need to strengthen our own defences and our own capability. It's interesting what Deputy Daley said in relation to a small business in your constituency. Some people in the house are oblivious to the level of cyber security attacks on the private sector in Ireland. Many companies are spending a lot of money on their cyber security defences because it's very, very disruptive. Universities have been hit. The HSE was paralysed during COVID by the Conti Group, which was a Russian group within Russia, and did enormous damage. And since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the level of cyber attacks in Europe has gone up exponentially since then. And we will be – the hybrid warfare in particular – a lot of the Baltics are experiencing a lot of hybrid warfare at the moment and a lot of disruption. And they believe fundamentally that's emanating from Russia. And I would just make the point that the consistent theme in European meetings for the last year is the existential threat that Russia poses to European states. And I'm struck by Deputy Coppinger and by Barrett not mentioning Russia once in their contributions. It says a lot. It's eloquently put in terms of the lens through which you look at the world. But in terms of the European – in terms of the European Union meetings, I can tell you the Baltics – sorry, you didn't – you had your chance. You didn't even mention them. It's a one-way ticket as far as you're concerned. And the fact of the matter is a lot of the Baltic countries – Finland, Sweden, others – feel that the threat is a genuine existential threat to Europe. Europe feels exposed. Europe feels it doesn't have the capabilities yet. It needs to enhance them. That's why there's a build-up and that's why there's investment in security capacities across all of the member states. And particularly because it may not be able to rely on others as partners into the future. And that Europe needs to be in a position to have the wherewithal to defend itself. And member states as well. Because the geopolitical world is changing, the US is very clear in terms of saying it still wants to remain a member of NATO, but it seems to many in Europe that Europe will have to develop its own independent capacities and capabilities and member states will do as well. And that Europe, in terms of the Deputy Freel's point, yes, I think Europe will have to stand up and be the bastion of a multilateral rules-based order. And will have to maintain its focus on the United Nations in a world where that is being threatened and undermined. Of that there is no doubt. And Ireland as a small country needs an international global-based rules system. That's what we have always stood for. So let's keep it involved. And we are used in this process. hourly. We are used in this process. We are used in this process. And we are used in this process. Let's separate it from there. Let's separate it from there. So let's talk about this process. We are in this process. You can see it from the performance.