Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 February 2021
50. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of additional staff that have been recruited to National Cyber Security Centre in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if further staff will be recruited later in 2021. [9774/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is located within my Department, 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 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. In 2020 two additional cyber security experts were recruited by my Department to work in the NCSC and following a further recruitment competition a Chief Technology Officer will be appointed to the NCSC shortly.
The 2019 National Cyber Security Strategy set out a series of measures to further improve and develop the capacity of the NCSC. In order to assess the capacity of the NCSC to deliver its objectives as set out in the strategy, an external review of the NCSC has been commissioned. The capacity review, which commenced in January 2021, will examine the current organisational structure, staffing, work processes and financing of the NCSC and will benchmark it against international best practice models. Work in relation to the capacity review is on-going and the report of the independent experts is expected early in Q2. The findings of the review will then be considered and will inform decisions to be taken on the future resourcing of the NCSC.
