Tánaiste to co-ordinate response to hacking attack

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has confirmed that he is to co-ordinate the Government's response to the major hacking attack.

Cyber criminals accessed details of more than 500,000 Irish credit card holders through a marketing firm at the centre of one of Europe’s biggest hacking attacks.

He said a number of different Government departments have a responsibility in terms of getting reports from gardaí and the data protection commissioner, and related follow-up activity.

“I would take responsibility to co-ordinate the response from the different Government ministers so that there is a whole Government response to what is a very serious issue that has arisen in relation to credit card fraud,” Mr Gilmore said.

He added that the Government is treating the issue “very seriously and very urgently”.