Bríd Smith warns over EPA water pollution and calls for tougher rules
Bríd Smith raised concerns about an EPA report showing 42 sites where factories and landfills posed pollution threats to water sources, and said five sites were placed on a priority enforcement list, four of them in the meat and dairy sector. She also addressed cyber security, outlining the National Cyber Security Centre's heightened preparedness and the response to the Munster Technology University cyber attack.
EPA findings and named firms
The speech highlights an EPA report that identified 42 sites posing pollution risks to water sources, with five sites placed on a priority enforcement list after serious and repeated discharge concerns. Of those five, four are in the food and drink sector, and Bríd Smith named Key Pack Athleague, Northcork Co-op, Arriva Dairy Ingredients and Western Brand Groups among the companies involved.
Concerns about regulation, food quality and emissions
Bríd Smith argued that part of the sector's success has come from light touch regulation and called for tougher enforcement on how food is produced in the meat and dairy sectors. She linked water pollution concerns to broader environmental harm, saying stricter action is needed not only to protect water quality but also to address emissions that could undermine CO2 reduction targets.
National Cyber Security Centre posture and MTU incident
The speaker outlined that the National Cyber Security Centre is operating at a heightened state of preparedness following recent cyber incidents tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that it monitors threats while sharing information with counterparts in the EU, the UK and the US. She said the NCSC works closely with the Defence Forces and Garda Siakana, remains in frequent contact with operators of critical infrastructure, and provides regular advice and exercises to government departments and agencies.
Details of the Munster Technology University attack
On the Munster Technology University (MTU) cyber attack, the speech noted MTU was subject to a cyber attack and has worked with the NCSC and Garda Siakana to identify the breach and its impacts. Specialist forensic services are reviewing the nature of the attack, an interim High Court injunction prohibits sale or publication of any data taken, and MTU's core systems such as email, HR, finance and payroll were not affected thanks to contingency plans.
International element and need for cooperation
Bríd Smith warned that cyber attacks are crimes that very often have an international element and that neutrality does not protect against cyber attacks or hybrid warfare. She stressed the need to cooperate with allies on security, defence, cyber security and in responding to potential international terrorist threats. The minister responding to the question said they would follow up in writing on specific briefing details.
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I want to draw our attention to the recent EPA report that shows us that at 42 sites, factories and landfills posed a pollution threat to our water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency has said that five of those sites have been put on a priority list for enforcement action after serious and repeated concerns were raised over discharges to local water sources. Of that five, four of them are in the meat or dairy sector. Key Pack Athleague, Northcork Co-op, Arriva Dairy Ingredients and Western Brand Groups are among them. The EPA has warned that the breaches by food and drink firms threaten the so-called clean, green image of the sector, which they say is crucial to its success. I would argue that part of its success is the light touch regulation from this state. We really need to be coming down hard on the way that food and the quality of food is produced in this country, in the meat producing sector, in the dairy sector, and not just for the water quality reasons, but crucially also for the emissions that are going to harm our targets in reaching our CO2 reductions. The Government has invested considerably over the past number of years in the National Cyber Security Centre, which is currently operating at a heightened state of preparedness in response to recent cyber incidents. due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and related cyber and hybrid threats arising from the conflict. The NCSC monitors potential threats and is in ongoing contact with our counterparts in the in the European Union, the UK and the US and other countries to share information and to monitor the impacts from possible threats. The NCSC continues to work particularly closely with the Defence Forces and on Garda Siakana, and is in frequent contact with operators of critical infrastructure and services to monitor for potential malicious cyber activities. The NCSC provides regular advice to government departments and agencies on cyber planning and emergency response requirements through regular exercises. In relation to the Munster Technology University attack, which was mentioned by the Deputy, cyber threats are an ever-present and growing risk to safe operation of information systems across all sectors and the economy. These attacks are crimes and must be dealt with as such. They very often have an international element. MTU was subject to a cyber attack and in conjunction with the NCSC and Garda Siakana, MTU have been working to identify the extent of the breach, its impacts and to take actions to deal with the consequences. Specialist forensic services are reviewing the nature of the attack and impacts on the data. An interim High Court injunction has been granted, which prohibits the sale, publication, possession or use of any data that may have been illegally taken from the University's systems. Contigency plans were in place for such an event, and the MTU's core systems such as email, HR, finance and payroll were not affected by the breach and have continued to operate. The cyber attack on the HSC shows that neutrality does not protect us from cyber attacks, nor does it protect us from hybrid warfare. I have spoken to a number of experts down the years about cyber attacks, and even the most sophisticated and well-resourced systems come under attack. That is why we need to cooperate, help and get help from our allies when it comes to security and defence, when it comes to cyber security and also when it comes to dealing with potential international terrorist threats. Deputy Smith's question is an important one, but unfortunately, I do not have a briefing on it in this group of questions. I will come back to her by writing, if that is okay. I can do with me, of course. I can do my coming out. I'll go back to the commission. We now I will beRIA. You can do that for all of society else because I'm talking this week because everything is a great part of my task, I rescued myself. I died when I died, trying to say how bad. The blackest lot of people aren't affected by the damage can have Johannes are in place. But I was calculated as well. I ran back to the at the local Novë until first, I found out my new technology into what I saw. Since I did last year, I forgot about it. Bang on it on the mountain. So let's know that I could be thelast doppelpiece kilowattens of the Queast. The黒ر, that was extended first emotionalry that has the케이 parallels. And now now I'm dealing with additional costs on it.
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