A worst-case scenario involving attacks on subsea cables across a number of locations could result in “the entire island of Ireland disconnected from the global internet”, the Department of Communications has warned the Government.
Separately, State power company ESB said critical undersea cables and pipelines were “susceptible to both accidental damage and deliberate sabotage that could render Ireland stranded from an energy or communications perspective”.
The warnings are contained in submissions made as part of a consultation process on the Government’s new national maritime security strategy, which was launched last month.
The Department of Enterprise said in its submission that Ireland should use space-based technologies to monitor risks and threats to crucial undersea cables and pipelines.
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EirGrid, which manages the electricity transmission system, maintained the biggest emerging threats and future challenges to Ireland’s maritime security would come from malicious attacks – both physical and cyber – on gas or electricity interconnectors.
It also warned about risks to installations on the water’s surface such as substations to connect future offshore wind farms to the grid.
It maintained “malicious actors with access to a vessel can forcibly enter these installations” and warned, in such circumstances, that it might take authorities two hours or more to respond.
Official papers released this week by the Department of Defence reveal several departments and State agencies warned the Government about the threats to underwater cables and pipelines, the implications any disruptions would have and the need to increase maritime surveillance and security.
The Department of Enterprise said Ireland’s undersea cables, interconnectors and offshore energy assets – including new and proposed wind farms – were “vulnerable to sabotage, espionage and unregulated activity, posing risks to enterprise continuity and national security.”
It also maintained the development of autonomous vessels, smart ports and AI-driven logistics “will invariably introduce new vulnerabilities”.
The department advocated a proactive, innovation-led approach that included investing in space and surveillance technologies.
It suggested a strengthening of Ireland’s capacity in Earth observation, satellite communications, and maritime domain awareness through European Space Agency (ESA) collaboration and national space programmes.
In a statement to The Irish Times, the department said it supported “enhanced co-operation through EU maritime security and space programmes” – referring to the State’s participation in EU initiatives such as Copernicus and Horizon Europe – that “strengthen Ireland’s access to space-based maritime surveillance and innovation funding”.
The Department of Communications said subsea telecom cables carried more than 99 per cent of data in and out of Ireland.
“A rise in subsea cable security incidents has increased concerns about disruptions to this critical undersea infrastructure,” the department said.
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“The most significant threat is a co-ordinated physical sabotage or attack on a subsea cable where a cable is cut in Ireland’s territorial waters, exclusive economic zone or on the high seas.”
It said that “the worst-case scenario would involve multiple cable cuts that disconnect the entire island of Ireland from the global internet”.
The department noted that in Irish waters “non-State actors have previously been observed by Irish authorities acting in a questionable manner near telecommunications and energy-critical underwater infrastructure”.
“Future hybrid threats may utilise a mix of methods, including cyberattacks, physical sabotage and economic coercion to achieve their goals,” the department said.
It suggested strategic investment in technology and capabilities to protect the State.
It also said “strengthening co-operation with Nato and like-minded partners could provide additional means and help to share the costs of improved subsea preparedness”.
