Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
20. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the measures her Department has taken to date to tackle cybercrime; her views on whether enough resources have been allocated to the Garda to deal with cybercrime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17790/24]
View answerThe Government is committed to taking measures to combat and prevent cybercrime.
There is close cooperation across the whole of Government on this issue, including between An Garda Síochána and the National Cyber Security Centre.
I recently had the opportunity to visit the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and thank the highly skilled Gardaí first hand for the very important work they do.
The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. The 2024 allocation provides a budget of over €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána, representing a 25% increase since 2020. This unprecedented budget will strengthen the work of specialist units within An Garda Síochána such as the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau. As part of Budget 2024's unprecedented allocation, €155 million has been allocated for digital capital investment and IT. I am satisfied that the Cybercrime Bureau are constantly developing their expertise and capability in this vital field and the tools they are currently deploying are cutting edge. Crucially they also cooperate closely with overseas partners in combatting this borderless crime.
Online fraud can cause not only devastating financial problems, but can also cause mental stress for those affected. Garda authorities have advised that around €237 million has been reported stolen in cyber enabled frauds in the period 2020 to 2023. The global cost of cybercrime is estimated to be $6 trillion per annum.
I would urge anyone conducting sensitive or personal business online or over the phone to be very cautious when providing personal or banking information. Many of the financial institutions have excellent advice for customers on how to be safe online, as does the Citizens’ Information website.
Last September, European Cyber Security Month saw a joint initiative between the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and the National Cyber Security Centre including a strong series of public and corporate events on the joint ECSM themes of Phishing and Ransomware attacks. The joint communications featured a series of radio adverts, weekly social media postings on the platforms of both agencies, and media advertisements on the risks posed by cyber-attacks and the prevention needs to stay safe online with an emphasis on the hashtag, 'Think Before You Click' (#ThinkB4UClick).
In advance of this year’s Valentine's Day, An Garda Síochána ran a campaign to raise awareness of romance fraud. As part of the campaign, Gardaí encouraged people not to share personal details, not to send or receive money, and to only use trusted dating sites.
One particular operation which an Garda Síochána work on is Operation JACKAL, an INTERPOL-led operation, which is known as Operation SKEIN in Ireland. Operation SKEIN runs an investigation into an International Criminal Organisation which commits crimes including Business Email Compromise and Romance Fraud worldwide and launders the proceeds through networks of bank accounts in Ireland.
The Gardaí also continue to engage with telecommunications service providers regarding online scams and the identification of those involved in them.
Finally, I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to enacting the necessary legislation to provide the Gardaí with the legal powers they need to tackle this form of crime. A General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Protection, Preservation and Access to Data on Information Systems) Bill 2024 was recently approved by Government and will equip law enforcement authorities with the power to seek orders from the Courts for the preservation and production of electronic evidence held on computer systems required to carry out criminal investigations.
