Hybrid attacks on Irish infrastructure were 'co-ordinated', says Taoiseach

Appearing on The Late Late Show, Micheál Martin said there is a 'general view' that the escalation of hybrid attacks in recent months has a 'Russian dimension'

Micheál Martin appears on The Late Late Show. Picture: RTÉ

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the recent hybrid attacks on Irish infrastructure were "co-ordinated" and said that cyber attacks are the greatest threat facing the country.

Appearing on RTÉ's Late Late Show in the wake of the broadcaster being evacuated earlier on Friday on the back of a hoax bomb threat, Mr Martin said it was too early to say if Russia had been behind today's attack, but acknowledged that there is a "general view" that the escalation of hybrid attacks in recent months has a "Russian dimension".

Ahead of a key international summit to be held next week in Dublin as part of the country's EU presidency, the Taoiseach said that a key takeaway concerning the recent chaos seen in the aviation sector and retail outlets is "how little effort has to go into the disruption", noting that a single email from a hired hand can cause disarray.

Speaking to host Patrick Kielty in a hastily-arranged interview in the wake of the RTÉ hoax, Mr Martin said: "You're talking about petty criminals being hired by certain actors, paid low enough money to cause significant disruption.

"Certainly the last two to three days with the airlines, with the retail stores and the online refrigeration systems, there are constant threats. We're alive to it," he said, adding that two years' worth of preparation has gone into preparing the country for the taking over of the EU presidency.

Of the various cyber attacks and bomb threats, Mr Martin said: "I think you can say that this is co-ordinated in terms of the airlines [on Thursday], the online refrigeration systems in certain shops".

"People may not realise the biggest threat we face right now on a continuing 24/7 basis is cyber security attacks," the Taoiseach said, adding that the number of such attacks has "quadrupled" in recent times.

"I would let people know that as far back as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, since then the European continent has changed.

"We've built up our capacities very significantly in the last three to four years, but it is a constant battle," Mr Martin said.

The Taoiseach said that all attacks are under Garda investigation and subject to intelligence sharing among security services across the EU.

Hope for 'resolution' before public sector strikes 

Addressing the possibility of a further public sector strike on November 12, Mr Martin said he "would hope that we can bring a satisfactory resolution to that", noting that "there is intensive negotiations going on and have been all day".

He denied that the pending EU summit in Dublin might force the Government's hand in the negotiations, saying: "I can't allow that to dictate the pace... because we've got to think of 2027 and 2028".

Separately, regarding the drubbing handed to Donald Trump's administration in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, Mr Martin said it was "a reminder to all politicians that the electoral clock ticks all the time, either in the US or elsewhere".

The Taoiseach cautioned, however, that Ireland cannot expect key Trump policies such as tariffs to be reversed as a result.

"One of the challenges that Europe faces is we can't wait around every four years for a change of policy in the US," he said.

"Europe has to become more self-reliant and independent in terms of how we do our business, how we protect ourselves, but also in how we economically become more self-reliant."