Edward Timmins
Question:126. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the strategies in place, and planned, to deal with cyber-crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66708/25]
View answerThursday, 4 December 2025
Questions (126)
Written answers
My Department is responsible for developing policy in relation to cybercrime and coordinating a range of different cyber initiatives at national and international level.
In particular, work is currently ongoing to implement the EU e-Evidence Package. This is comprised of Directive (EU) 2023/1544 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1543, which sets out a cross-border framework for accessing electronic evidence (subscriber, traffic and content data) held by online and electronic communications service providers during specific criminal investigations in the EU. Once implemented, this will allow authorities in one EU Member State to issue an order to produce electronic evidence to a service provider based in another EU Member State. Implementation of this package is significant, and will have a major impact on Ireland and other EU Member State’s ability to ensure effective access to digital evidence in tackling serious crime, including cybercrime.
Ireland also remains committed to the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (‘Budapest Convention’). A significant number of requirements of the Convention have already been met by the Criminal Justice (Offences Relating to Information Systems) Act 2017. The remaining articles of the Convention will be addressed by two legislative projects that are currently being progressed.
Ireland also recently signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi, Vietnam on 25 October 2025. Participation in instruments such as these enable us to improve our ability to tackle cybercrime and cyber enabled crimes, by providing the legal mechanisms and tools which enhance co-operation between law enforcement authorities across jurisdictions.
As of 31 October 2025 there were 72 members of An Garda Síochána attached to the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau. The Bureau plays a key role as the national Garda unit tasked with the forensic examinations of computer and mobile devices that have been seized during the course of any criminal investigations.
Another important role of the Bureau is the investigation of cyber dependent crimes that target significant or complex attacks on computer systems, corporate networks or critical national infrastructures. The Bureau also provides cyber safety and prevention advice to all sectors of industry and the community on the current and emerging risks to online activity and personal or sensitive data. This comes from its liaison with law enforcement colleagues across the globe, academia and industry partners on ways to identify crime trends.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) came under the remit of my Department in June of this year, as per this Government’s commitment to ensuring the proper alignment of our national security infrastructure. The 2026 budget for the NCSC has increased by over 50% to €12 million.
The NCSC and An Garda Síochána actively collaborate in relation to cyber incidents that are also cybercrimes as defined by the Criminal Justice (Offences Relating To Information Systems) Act 2017 and related laws. There are existing information sharing arrangements between NCSC and An Garda Síochána to share cyber intelligence. The organisations also work together to promote awareness of cyber risks among businesses and individuals. Work is underway to formalise the operational relationship, including the secondment of Gardaí to the NCSC by way of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Ireland’s second National Cyber Security Strategy, published in 2019, came to a close at the end of 2024. Preparations for the successor strategy are underway in my Department. I expect to be in a position to publish the Third National Cyber Security Strategy early in 2026.