Eoin Hayes
Question:39. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Defence the measures being taken to protect State undersea cables; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4723/26]
View answerWednesday, 21 January 2026
Questions (39)
Written answers
The Defence Forces routinely carry out monitoring and surveillance of Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using both Naval Service assets and Air Corps maritime patrol aircraft. In addition to at sea monitoring, the Naval Operations Command Centre in Haulbowline carries out remote monitoring twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
It is clear that protecting critical undersea infrastructure requires collaboration within the State as well as collaboration with other European states to provide a broader understanding of what is occurring in the greater maritime space. This means that Government Departments and agencies, infrastructure operators, the Defence Forces, the private sector and academia all have a part to play. Safeguarding critical undersea infrastructure requires a multifaceted approach with a wide variation of parties involved.
To that end, my Department has taken the lead in the development of a National Maritime Security Strategy following identification of maritime security as a priority in the 2024 Defence Policy Review. I anticipate that this new strategy will provide a roadmap over the next five years to safeguard Ireland’s sovereign maritime interests, ensure safe and secure seas and support international legal order in the maritime domain. I intend to bring this strategy to Government shortly.
Defence Forces participation in the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) was approved in 2025. Joining CISE will support better monitoring and surveillance of growing threats at sea and will help improve the Defence Forces maritime domain awareness. This will aid decision-making during complex maritime operational scenarios as well as the Defence Forces ability to share information with other EU maritime organisations.
Also in 2025, Government announced a new major contract with Thales DMS France for the provision of towed sonar capability. The sonar will be used for monitoring and surveillance in the subsea domain, thus significantly enhancing maritime security. Another project has commenced that aims to provide the Air Corps with the capability to detect, localise, identify, and track sub-surface objects. This capability will be used in conjunction with the new towed sonar capability planned for delivery in 2027, and also with existing Air Corps assets.
Ireland is actively participating in a number of EU PESCO (Permanent Structure Cooperation) projects including, Critical Seabed Infrastructure Protection, Maritime Autonomous and semi-Autonomous Systems for Mine Countermeasures and Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance. These collaborations will enhance cooperation with EU participating states thus benefiting Ireland in the protections of undersea critical infrastructure by enhancing maritime surveillance, situational awareness, response effectiveness and integration of systems.