Martin Daly: Urges Stronger Defence After HSE Cyber Attack

Minister, the issue of national security has never been more pressing. International trade and security are deeply connected, and without a strong security policy our political and economic stability are at risk. For far too long, Ireland has relied on the security frameworks of our European, UK and transatlantic partners, as well as our remote geographical location. This has bred complacency, often clouded by confusion, over the status of our neutrality. However, the global landscape has shifted. Russian aggression in Ukraine, evolving geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in US foreign policy has made it clear that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, and Ireland can't be an outlier. Though we are not engaged in direct conflict, we are already facing serious security threats, particularly in cyber and hybrid warfare. The large-scale cyber attack on the HSE was a stark warning, causing severe disruption, personal data exposure risk and significant financial damage. Attacks like these are often backed by hostile states, are increasing in both the public and private sectors. I know personally of a health centre forced to pay a €10,000 ransom in Bitcoin, plus an additional €25,000 to restore operations, an enormous burden for a small business after a hack. These are not isolated incidents. This is low-intensity warfare by any other name. Beyond cyberspace, our vulnerabilities are clear. Our inability to patrol our airspace and territorial waters was humiliatingly exposed under international gaze when the Russian Navy operated off our southwest coast near critical undersea fibre optic infrastructure. Any disruption to this network would have devastating economic consequences. In this context, I welcome the establishment of the National Security Council, bringing together key government guard and defence force leaders. It is a necessary step in ensuring strategic security and defence policy is treated as a national priority. Ireland's military neutrality is well understood, but neutrality must not mean vulnerability. Our security and the security of the European Union is our responsibility too. The investment in primary radar for airspace monitoring is welcome, but it must be part of a broader sustained effort. Increased funding for the defence forces, recruitment and retention initiatives, and enhancements to our naval service and air corps are all steps in the right direction. Greater engagement with the European Union's common security and defence policy, the Permanent Structured Cooperation and NATO's Partnership for Peace offers Ireland avenues to build security through cooperation. We need to repeal the triple lock and allow the Dáil to take back control of our armed forces deployment. The European Defence Fund presents an opportunity to develop our infrastructure and consider an indigenous defence industry, something Sweden, Finland and Austria, when neutral, have successfully done. It is not tenable that Ireland lacks a mature security and defence infrastructure. Strengthening our security does not diminish our ethical and moral commitment to human rights and international aid. It is not a binary choice. Ireland has built a strong reputation for peace and diplomacy, but political and economic stability is a privilege that must be protected. We have benefited greatly from EU support, most recently evidenced during the Brexit process. We have to ask ourselves, where would Ireland stand if Russia invaded the Baltic States or Poland, fellow EU members? There is a growing sense of scepticism in Europe of Ireland's underinvestment in security. That is why the steps taken by this Government mark an important start of a long-term commitment to building Ireland's security capabilities in partnership with the EU, and I welcome that. going through to I know in Europe! was really designed to be aorder, that we uh... Yeah I think there was quite a bit of aakenness when it has the hub ş 문 that learnt one of the neighbours of the United States or more of the intricacies of our family, and while I thought that any of this evidence would be a very clear new, is it not that ? Still, there have been spread its peace as a foreign policy.