Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
438. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for a detailed update in relation to strategies or initiatives his Department is taking to tackle increasing online misinformation and cyber-crimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17213/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for developing policy in relation to cybercrime and coordinating a range of different cyber initiatives at national and international level. The Government is also committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight all types of crime, including cybercrime. The 2026 allocation provides a record budget of over €2.74 billion to An Garda Síochána.
An Garda Síochána are continually engaged in the detection and prosecution of relevant criminal offences relating to cybercrime. Cybercrime and online fraud can cause not only devastating financial problems, but can also cause mental stress for those affected.
An Garda Síochána also continue to engage with telecommunications service providers regarding online scams and the identification of those involved in them.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) provide presentations to community, business and educational groups on a regular basis, relating to cyber enabled crimes, cyber dependent crimes and online information. The GNCCB also take part in cyber security events across Ireland, speaking to attendees on all issues relating to cyber crime.
The GNCCB have also published 2 booklets for the assistance of the public:
• Cyber Crime Risks and Prevention Tips;
• Social Media User Safety Guide.
Both are available for download on the Garda website and have been printed for distribution at Community Engagement events.
Access to digital evidence, wherever it may be located, is fundamental to tackling cybercrime. Within my Department, work is well advanced 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 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.
The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has primary responsibility for Online Safety. The Online Services and Media Regulation Act was introduced and Coimisiún na Meán established to regulate online media, including enforcing rules about how online services or platforms should deal with harmful and illegal content on their services.
Coimisiún na Meán introduced and enforces a binding online safety code for video-sharing platforms, which set out obligations for online services to protect users from and tackle the availability of defined categories of harmful online content. Coimisiún na Meán is also key to the enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Ireland. The DSA is EU-wide legislation which requires online services to take steps to make the internet safer for users by addressing harmful or illegal content on their sites.
