Ireland faces 'new threats' due to transatlantic cables in Irish seas, says Tánaiste

Micheál Martin told  the inaugural “Subsea Cable Security and Resilience Symposium” at the historic Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Station in Valentia, Co. Kerry, on Friday that 'the potential risk implications for Ireland are stark.' Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

Ireland faces “new and emerging threats” due to its underwater cables which are critical for global communications and commerce, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.

This infrastructure — on which the global economy now depends — has been suspected of being under the watch of Russian spies. Mr Martin said that as the majority of transatlantic data communications now run through Irish seas, the infrastructure has critical international importance.

“This exposes us to new and emerging threats, including threats to our offshore infrastructure. We take these threats very seriously,” Mr Martin said. “The latest National Risk Assessment for Ireland identified ‘Damage to Critical Undersea Infrastructure’ as one of the country’s strategic risks.

“The potential risk implications for Ireland are stark. Our seas not only contain vital subsea cable infrastructure but approximately three quarters of Ireland’s natural gas is imported via undersea gas pipelines. As an island nation, we rely on the security of our seas.” 

Mr Martin noted that Ireland’s maritime footprint is seven times its land area.

The Tánaiste was speaking at the inaugural three-day Subsea Cable Security and Resilience Symposium on Valentia Island on Friday. International experts will discuss the subsea cable network’s security at the conference.

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The first ever transatlantic cable was laid more than 150 years ago in Valentia, making it a historic location in the global communication revolution. That cable would join to Newfoundland, Canada, in 1858.

Now, some 97% of global communications, including internet traffic, travels through fibre-optic cables that run underneath the sea. Financial transactions of almost €10trn runs through that network daily.

And three-quarters of all cables in the northern hemisphere pass through or near Irish waters, mostly off the southwest coast, making those Irish seas a critical nexus in global communications and commerce.

“In today’s complex and interconnected world, our very location is one where geography, politics, and economics meet,” Mr Martin said.

“Against the backdrop of the complex and volatile global security environment, it is also clear that Ireland cannot rely on our geographic isolation for our security, nor isolate ourselves from world events. 

War has returned to the continent of Europe. We understand new and emerging threats are creating novel challenges. There is a growing focus at EU level to counter new and emerging threats in the cyber, hybrid, disinformation and space domains.

“Key aspects of the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence include the revision of the ‘Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox’, new hybrid and foreign information manipulation and interference toolboxes and new Hybrid Rapid Response Teams.” 

Mr Martin, in his role as Minister for Defence, said that he worked to secure a record allocation of €1.35bn in defence funding for 2025.

“This is an increase of €100m compared to last year and represents our biggest investment ever in defence,” he said. This funding would facilitate significant progress on important defence projects, including military radar and subsea awareness, he said.

Valentia island remains at the centre of global communications more than 160 years after it became the eastern terminus for the world’s first permanent trans-oceanic submarine electric telegraph, he said.

The Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Foundation is working to have Valentia designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“When you succeed, it will also mean Kerry will house two World Heritage sites — here in Valentia Island and, of course, Sceilig Mhichíl,” he said.