Defence Forces Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17 ============================================================ Edward Timmins (FG), Wicklow Threats are not just physical. They come in a variety of modes. I want to mention an aspect that I believe is very important, and this is the area of non-military threats. Examples include cyber threats. These also represent a threat to our economic interests. As the Minister knows, we are hugely dependent on reliable computer systems which underpin our economy. The whole area of disinformation is also a real security threat. We need to recruit staff with expertise in these areas. I am also particularly conscious of energy and communication threats, especially relating to maritime security. These threats are real. As we witnessed a few years ago, they can come from anywhere, including from within our own country. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-17