Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2237. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated full year cost of recruiting ten extra cyber security responders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32900/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is located within my Department, and is the primary cyber security authority in the State. The Centre has a number of roles, and is responsible for acting as a conduit for information to constituents, including operators of Critical National Infrastructure, Government Departments and Agencies. The Centre also provides expert advice and analysis on cyber security issues and is involved in coordinating the response to significant incidents. The Centre also acts as a central contact point in the event of a government or nation-wide cyber security incident affecting the State, and has a number of formal roles in the protection of Critical National Infrastructure, including those under the EU Network and Information Security Directive. The NCSC is composed of highly skilled, specialist technical civilian staff, with skillsets in areas such as computer science, software engineering, malware analysis, information technology forensics, cryptography, software development, and cyber security compliance, as well as general cyber security skills. My Department is finalising a new National Cyber Security Strategy, which will set out the measures that Government will take to meet future challenges in cyber security, both in terms of Government and critical national infrastructure. The estimated full year cost of recruiting ten extra Cyber Security Responders would be approximately €650,000.
