Valentia Island Subsea Cable Symposium Speech - Minister for Defence Helen McEntee TD

A dhaoine uaisle, go raibh maith agaibh as cuireadh a thabhairt dom chun an tSiompóisiam Slándála agus Seasmhachta Cábla Fomhuirí anseo i nDairbhre.

Thar ceann an Rialtais, ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh chuairteoirí agus roimh chainteoirí náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta ag an suíomh álainn stairiúil seo.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to join you here on Valentia Island for this important Subsea Cable Security and Resilience Symposium.

This remarkable location where the first transatlantic cable connected Europe and North America in 1866, reminds us just how transformative connectivity can be.

That cable, stretching from Valentia Island to Newfoundland, carried the first near-instant messages between continents. What once took weeks by ship could suddenly be communicated in minutes. It reshaped diplomacy, commerce and human connection in ways that were unimaginable at the time.

Ireland was not just a waypoint in that story, it was at its very centre. Today, that legacy continues.

I would like to warmly welcome the national and international visitors and speakers to this beautiful and historic location. I am pleased that both the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are among the sponsors of this event. The issues being discussed at the symposium are of great importance to both the Departments I represent.

I also want to acknowledge the work that has been done by the Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Foundation to promote and raise the profile of the Transatlantic Cable Ensemble with the aim of achieving the designation of Valentia as a UNESCO World Heritage site. I wish them great success in this significant endeavour.

I would like to thank Dr. Camino Kavanagh, Leonard Hobbs, Sandra Delany and all of the organising committee for designing such a timely and necessary discussion.

The topic of this year’s symposium – Restoration and Repair: Past, Present and Future – is particularly apt. But as we reflect on the past and address present challenges, we must also look firmly ahead. Because the resilience of subsea infrastructure will define not only our economic security, but our strategic autonomy in years to come.

As a committed member of both the European Union and the United Nations, Ireland recognises that international engagement on this critical issue is essential. Likewise, creating a shared awareness between government agencies, private industry and academia regarding the threats to undersea cable security and resilience is vital. Symposia such as this are crucial for strengthening our collective security.

As an island nation, Ireland’s prosperity, connectivity and energy security are inseparable from the integrity of our undersea infrastructure. Subsea cables carry the vast majority of global data flows, underpinning everything from financial systems to public services.

Every email sent, every video call made, every financial transaction processed, almost all of it travels through fibre-optic cables on the seabed. These networks are the invisible backbone of our digital economy and our daily lives.

Increasingly, they also support critical services. In hospitals, for example, high-capacity connections allow medical scans and data to be shared instantly across continents, enabling faster diagnoses and access to specialist expertise.

What began as telegraph signals transmitted in dots and dashes has evolved into vast streams of real-time data connecting billions of people and devices worldwide.

Yet this infrastructure is increasingly exposed – to hybrid threats, cyber-attacks and geopolitical tensions. These risks are evolving, persistent and demand a coordinated response.

That is why the protection of critical undersea infrastructure is now a central pillar of Ireland’s national security.

Earlier this year, I launched Ireland’s new National Maritime Security Strategy, a whole-of-government framework designed not only to respond to today’s risks, but to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.

The strategy sets out a clear direction: to strengthen our maritime domain awareness, protect critical infrastructure, deepen international cooperation and ensure that Ireland plays a full and responsible role in safeguarding the rules-based international order at sea, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

But strategy alone is not enough, delivery is what matters.

And this work is already underway. Across government, industry and academia, we are strengthening how we monitor, protect and respond to risks in our maritime domain.

From increased investment in surveillance and defence capabilities, to deeper cooperation with our European and international partners, we are actively building the resilience that this moment demands.

In the months ahead, we will take concrete steps to:

explore the opportunity for Ireland to host or participate in a regional maritime monitoring hub for the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic; strengthen regional partnerships, particularly with our near neighbours France and the UK, as well as increasing cooperation with EU initiatives and with international bodies and regional groupings; work closely with the private sector; and develop a comprehensive new legal approach to maritime security in Ireland.

The maritime security strategy is taking place against the backdrop of significant increases in our own national defence spending in recent years, including the Government’s record €1.7 billion capital investment in Defence over the next five years - an increase of €600 million, or 55%, on the previous baseline. This will facilitate significant progress on important defence projects, including military radar and subsea awareness.

I know many of you in the audience today are representatives of the cable industry. As part of this new, comprehensive approach set out in our strategy, I see the private sector as having a key role to play in supporting our maritime security, particularly as owners and operators of much of the critical infrastructure in our maritime domain.

Enhancing collaboration with industry and supporting research and innovation will be key to how we increase our overall maritime security.

Looking ahead, Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union presents an opportunity to place maritime security and specifically subsea infrastructure, firmly on the European agenda. I will work to advance cooperation, strengthen resilience and support practical measures that protect our shared interests.

Since launching the National Maritime Security Strategy, I have also directed my officials to develop urgent legislation to ensure that our Defence Forces have appropriate enforcement powers at sea, in line with international law. This is in light of growing maritime threats and in preparation for Ireland’s forthcoming EU Presidency.

Let me also draw attention to another strategy recently published by my Department, the first National Strategy on the Resilience of Critical Entities.

As you are all aware, a resilient society is essential for our national security, as well as for our economic and social well-being. This resilience relies on the continuous availability of a wide range of essential services, many of which are provided by private industry in partnership with the State.

This new strategy sets out how we will identify and collaborate with our country’s critical entities to ensure they remain resilient and capable of supporting our society and our well-being.

Ireland has also recently endorsed the New York Principles on the security and resilience of undersea cables — a valuable contribution to the global discussion on protecting the infrastructure that underpins our interconnected world.

Turning back to the symposium, I am delighted to note that the next panel will be moderated by Dr Robert McCabe of the National Maritime College of Ireland. In support of the National Maritime Security Strategy, the Department of Defence and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment have collaborated to fund a pilot research programme, which is being delivered by Dr McCabe.

This programme will address urgent maritime security concerns facing Ireland and the European Union by integrating research on maritime cybersecurity, surveillance, energy security and maritime domain awareness. I look forward to the policy insights that will result from this important work.

I would also like to note that, in conjunction with this event, a student competition focused on the topic of cable repair is taking place. This is an excellent initiative, and I commend the organisers, the National Maritime College of Ireland and Munster Technological University for their leadership.

Our research community here in Ireland is central to the approach we are taking to maritime security. Their contribution through innovative projects, expert analysis and events like this symposium is invaluable.

Let me finish by assuring you that the issues being discussed here today are of the highest priority. The focus of your work has implications not only for our national security, but also for our wider societal resilience.

From the first signals sent from Valentia to Newfoundland, to the vast digital flows that now pass beneath our oceans every second, the story of subsea cables is one of constant evolution.

Our responsibility now is to ensure that this critical infrastructure remains secure, resilient and capable of supporting the societies and economies that depend on it.

I look forward to the outputs from this event. I know they will provide valuable insights into how we can strengthen the security and resilience of our vital undersea infrastructure in an increasingly unpredictable world.

Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a very productive and illuminating symposium.

Thank you.