Cybersecurity Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 July 2026

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Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Questions (259)

Malcolm Byrne

Question:

259. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide the amounts by which his Department or agencies within the aegis of his Department that has been defrauded as a result of a cyberattack; and the total amount which has been recovered for each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026. [51990/26]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

I can confirm that in the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026 my Department has not been defrauded as a result of a cyber attack.

With regard to agencies, there are currently eight agencies under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht: Pobal, Western Development Commission, Charities Regulatory Authority, Water Safety Ireland, Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge, and the Ulster-Scots Agency. These are independent entities, responsible for managing their own corporate arrangements, including ICT services provision. However, the table below details the position as reported to my Department by each of the agencies.

With regard to the incident reported by Foras na Gaeilge, a series of actions were subsequently undertaken to strengthen controls within the agency, including staff training, financial software updates, and additional resources for cybersecurity. I am also informed that the draft 2024 Account submitted to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General references the incident in the Statement of Internal Financial Controls and includes a specific note on the matter.

Agency	Year(s)	Amounts
Pobal	2021- To date 2026	Nil
Western Development Commission	2021- To date 2026	Nil
Charities Regulatory Authority	2021 - To date 2026	Nil
Water Safety Ireland	2021- To date 2026	Nil
Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga	2021- To date 2026	Nil
Údarás na Gaeltachta	2021- To date 2026	Nil
Foras na Gaeilge	2021-2023, 2025 and to date in 2026 2024	Nil Defrauded - €25,000 Recovered - €3,601.85
Ulster-Scots Agency	2021- To date 2026	Nil

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