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Irish Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland cannot protect its waters alone, UN expert says
Ireland would find it very difficult to fully secure its maritime area, even with significantly increased naval capabilities, according to a United Nations expert on subsea security. Dr Camino Kavanagh was speaking following the launch of a report she authored as part of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research which examines the threats to subsea telecommunications cables worldwide. There is increasing concern in the Irish Government and in the European Union about the vulnerability of subsea cables and infrastructure. Dr Kavanagh said Irish waters are a 'choke point' for such cables and a 'point of vulnerability'. About 75 per cent of transatlantic cables go to or near Ireland. Recent activity by Russian naval vessels in the vicinity of these cables has increased concern among officials. READ MORE Speaking at an event organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs , Dr Kavanagh said it was 'very, very difficult' for small countries with limited navies, such as Ireland, to 'fully monitor and patrol and surveil the ocean around under their jurisdiction'. This would be the case even if Ireland achieved the most ambitious goals laid out by the Government to substantially increase its naval fleet and subsea monitoring capabilities, she said. Collaboration with other countries in this area is key, said Dr Kavanagh. 'That's already happening with other countries, including with the countries that Ireland shares its maritime borders with.' She referenced Ireland's recent decision to join the common information sharing environment which will allow it to quickly share naval intelligence with other EU countries. [ Ireland joins naval intelligence network amid increase in Russian ships in Irish-controlled waters Opens in new window ] Dr Kavanagh, who is visiting senior fellow with the department of war studies, King's College London also cautioned against governments overreacting to reports of damage or sabotage to subsea cables. Most damage to subsea cables is caused by commercial vessels, she said. Furthermore, recent high-profile incidents which some security agencies have blamed on Russia had minimal impact on telecommunications services. Dr Kavanagh's report, which was supported in part by the Department of Foreign Affairs , detailed several ways Ireland is attempting to protect the subsea cables around its coast, including updating regulations in the area. It is also funding the laying of new cables to provide additional redundancy in case of an incident and is streamlining the planning process for new subsea infrastructure. In addition, regulations introduced last year allow the Government to provide financial assistance to a private company 'where an essential service needs to be supported and such support is justified by public-interest objectives,' the report states. 'Ireland is also moving in the direction of greater policy and regulatory co-ordination across seabed users, aided by the establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, a reformed planning commission, and a new regulatory co-ordination agency for the maritime space,' it said. The Government is also planning a 'centralised database' for the authorisation of maritime activities.
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Irish waters may be a 'choke point' in terms of vulnerability of subsea cables
Irish-controlled waters are considered internationally a 'choke point' in terms of the vulnerability of transatlantic subsea cables, a UN expert has said. Around 11 fibre optic cables, connecting North America to Europe, pass through or near Ireland's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), which stretches over 200 nautical miles off the south west and west coast. 'Subsea fibre optic cables are now the backbone of our communication infrastructure,' Camino Kavanagh, a senior fellow with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research told a webinar in Ireland. 'More than 95% of global internet, voice and data traffic passes through the vast submerged network. So literally, all of our private, business, government, and military communications depend on it, as do global financial transactions all the way down to humanitarian assistance. She said concerns of damage to cables, whether accidental or deliberate, are 'particularly acute' in certain maritime regions, including the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea. Ms Kavanagh said: 'Ireland is considered a choke point of vulnerability.' Former Defence Forces chief of staff Mark Mellett who hosted the webinar said surveillance by foreign actors 'may well be a ticking timebomb'. File picture: Colin Keegan/Collins She said Ireland is a risky location along with the likes of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The neglect of Irish naval capabilities, a lack of maritime intelligence, together with increased surveillance activity and visible military posturing by Russian vessels in Ireland's EEZ has raised growing concerns regarding the security of subsea cables and energy pipelines. Hosting the webinar, organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs, retired Defence Forces chief of staff Mark Mellett said it has been clearly visible in recent times that foreign actors are 'carrying out surveillance activity' in Irish EEZ and speculated that this 'may well be a ticking timebomb' regarding what might be planned for the infrastructure in the future. Ms Kavanagh said it is 'very, very difficult' for a small country, such as Ireland, to fully monitor and patrol a large area – even if the Government implements its planned investment for the Defence Forces. Instead, she recommended two basic measures the government could take: 'Hardening' the physical and cybersecurity of the land components of data cables (where the cables land) and network infrastructure, as these sections are 'often the most vulnerable' and are 'easier to damage' than cables in the sea; More detailed collaboration with other countries, including neighbouring states, in terms of protecting maritime areas. Ms Kavanagh said Ireland could learn from Finland, in terms of a 'whole of government' approach to the issue, involving a partnership with the maritime private industry, which own and operate the cables. She said the Netherlands is a good example for gathering maritime information by establishing a Data Fusion Centre, where relevant agencies co-locate. Norway is another country Ireland could learn from, she said, in using subsea sensors near cables.
