Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
107. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to detail the definition of critical infrastructure used by his Department in regard to undersea telecommunications cables; if the designation of infrastructure as critical is a reference to its being critical infrastructure for Ireland, or critical infrastructure for another country or countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30514/23]
View answer108. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of undersea telecommunications cables that connect Ireland to other states and-or networks outside this jurisdiction; to outline the ownership of same, by state and-or by public or private entity, in tabular form; to clarify if these cables are regarded as critical infrastructure per the definition used by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30515/23]
View answerDelivering world class connectivity and communications is one of the five strategic goals of my Department. Subsea telecommunications cables are of critical importance in relation to maintaining and enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness in global markets and in the knowledge economy. Our digital infrastructure enables our wider economy to be among the most productive in the world and has provided resilience to shocks such as COVID-19. A fundamental component of our digital infrastructure is the network of subsea telecommunications cables that connect us to the rest of the world.
In accordance with the Strategic Emergency Management Framework critical national infrastructure is defined as being of unique national importance, which if disrupted or destroyed would have significant national level effects and may impact across a number of sectors. Critical infrastructure is therefore focused around the concept of essential services and telecommunications is identified in this guidance document as such.
The European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection outlines an overall framework for protection of Critical Infrastructure in the EU and provides for an ‘all-hazards cross-sectorial approach’. This considers all threats for all relevant sectors for economic activity.
The Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) is coordinating the new European Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive, which aims to enhance the resilience of critical entities that provide services essential for vital societal functions or economic activities in the internal market. This Directive creates a framework to support Member States in ensuring that critical entities are able to prevent, resist, absorb and recover from disruptive incidents, whether they are caused by natural hazards, accidents, terrorism, insider threats, or public health emergencies. Given its focal point for this new Directive, the OEP also ensures that information concerning the resilience of critical entities is communicated in appropriate ways to Government Departments and sectors of relevance. This includes advisories for the information of operators of essential services and critical infrastructure as and when required.
There are 15 undersea telecoms cables of which 2 are owned by entities of the Irish State.
