Ireland and the UK establish protocol to report subsea cable incidents
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Minister for Defence Helen McEntee confirmed that Ireland and the UK established a new protocol to report incidents involving subsea cables. The two countries recently tested a joint response to cable disruptions during a tabletop exercise called Eastern Pearl.
The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport created the Subsea Communications Cables Industry Forum to bring together government officials and cable operators. Minister McEntee told conference delegates in Dublin that these cables are increasingly vulnerable to hybrid threats from Russia.
She noted that 75% of transatlantic cables pass through Irish waters, which are seven times larger than the country's land area. The Irish government launched its first National Maritime Security Strategy earlier this year to protect undersea infrastructure. This strategy aligns with the maritime security goals of the European Union. The Irish Defence Forces now have specific roles in protecting the state's rights in territorial seas and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
The government plans to connect a Defence Forces node to the European Union's Common Information Sharing Environment by 2027. This move aims to help the military gather intelligence and share information with European partners. Since 2022, the Irish defence budget has grown by about 45% to fund military radar and sonar programs, new counter unmanned aircraft systems, and the revitalization of a naval base in Co Cork.
