Press release
Tánaiste addresses Valentia Island Subsea Cable Security and Resilience Symposium.
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Tánaiste addresses Subsea Cable Symposium, outlining Government commitment to Security and Resilience
11 October 2024
The Tánaiste, Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, on Friday 11th October 2024, addressed the Valentia Island Subsea Cable Security and Resilience Symposium.
The symposium brings together academia, industry and government to discuss the security and resilience of Critical Undersea Infrastructure.
Ahead of the gathering in Kerry, a historic centre of global communications, the Tánaiste said:
“Our maritime footprint - our Exclusive Economic Zone that is 7 times our land area - is currently home to the majority of transatlantic data communications.
“It is clear that protecting critical undersea infrastructure requires us to have a full understanding of what is occurring in the maritime space.”
The discussions at the symposium will help Ireland to better understand and identify innovative ways to improve the security and resilience of subsea cables. By recognising vulnerabilities and mitigating their threats, Ireland can ensure a continuity of economic success and progress.
The Department of Defence will have a leading role in co-ordinating maritime security going forward, including stress testing of critical infrastructure in the energy sector against man-made threats.
The Tánaiste added: “One way we are doing that is by investing in the military and civilian expertise and capabilities that are required to respond adequately to any incident. A record allocation of €1.35 billion in Defence funding for 2025 will also facilitate significant progress on important defence projects, including military radar and subsea awareness.”
Both the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs have provided sponsorship to support the symposium.
The event is being organised by a steering committee of academics and industry with experience in this area, with the Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation agreeing to host and operate the event. The location of Valentia Island builds on the historic precedence of Ireland in this area with the first transatlantic cable laid from Valentia Island to Newfoundland in 1858.