2026-05-21

7. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report on the discussion on efforts to tackle hybrid threats and disinformation at the EU General Affairs Council on 11 May 2026. [37994/26]

I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for a report of the discussions and efforts to tackle hybrid threats and disinformation at the EU General Affairs Council on 11 May 2026.

I attended the informal General Affairs Council in Lefkosi, Nicosia, in Cyprus on 11 May. Hybrid threats, of course, including foreign information manipulation and interference, FIMI, represent a serious political and security challenge for the EU and our partners. Ireland continues to work together with our EU counterparts to counter such activities. The work includes implementation of the EU’s hybrid, cyber and foreign information manipulation and interference toolboxes. Together, these provide a range of measures, which enable us to identify, deter, mitigate and respond to disinformation and interference campaigns, including through the imposition of restrictive measures where appropriate. Disinformation, more broadly, is a serious challenge, which must be met with a whole-of-society response. Our national counter disinformation strategy sets out commitments and actions to help counter this complex problem. At the EU General Affairs Council informal meeting in Cyrus on 11 May we discussed all these issues. At the meeting, EU ministers were joined by the UK Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, MP, which I welcome, for an exchange on efforts to tackle foreign information manipulation and interference. The participation of the UK minister is a recognition of the importance of engaging with close partners on the issue. At the discussions in the informal meeting we focused on EU-UK co-operation on countering FIMI, and we reaffirmed that this is a shared and evolving threat, which requires a coordinated European response. In that context, we welcomed the UK minister, noting the common challenges we face across Europe in tackling threats against the stability, social cohesion and democratic nature of our countries. We exchange best practice. We focus on how to strengthen co-operation, co-ordinate international efforts and build resilience, including through the European Democracy Shield and the European Centre for Democratic Resilience. We underlined the need to strengthen co-ordination in multilateral forums and to enhance resilience in the digital space. Responding to hybrid threats and activity is a priority for the Government and for EU partners. During our Presidency, we will work to help the EU in navigating our complex and evolving threat environment and we will work to progress the EU agenda on countering hybrid threats.

I thank the Minister for his response. We frequently underestimate the extent to which as a country we face hybrid threats and cyber threats. There are two areas I want to focus on. One is during our EU Presidency, when we hold events here in Ireland but also when we hold meetings of the European political community. There are also challenges and responsibilities for us, as TDs and Senators. We are at risk of hybrid attacks during the EU Presidency. We have heard at the AI committee the extent to which we are ready. I question whether we are ready for AI-enabled drone attacks during that period. Because of hybrid warfare, there are going to be efforts by malign actors to influence TDs and Senators and it is crucial that we are also aware of efforts to destabilise our political institutions and to influence political opinion.

The Government is committed to delivering a successful Presidency. We continue to engage closely with EU partners and An Garda Síochána as the preparations accelerate. The scale and significance of Presidency events that are planned to take place in Ireland mean that unprecedented security considerations arise, certainly for the European political community meeting. That will be the largest ever meeting of its type in Ireland. The security arrangements that will be put in place will reflect the wider backdrop of a changed EU security landscape and a more complex threat environment. When we look back to the Presidency of 2004, while I will not say there was a level of informality, the security considerations were nowhere near what they are now. We will see a difference. Work is under way, led by the Garda Síochána and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in planning the security and policing requirements. That includes liaising continuously with policing and security partners across the European Union.

I welcome the co-operation between ourselves and our European partners but the Minister of State will be aware that during the Danish Presidency in the second half of last year, we saw a number of efforts by drones to interfere in and disrupt an EU Council meeting. I have no doubt we will see that again by malign actors during our Presidency. I would also ask - I am really serious about this - about efforts by malign states to influence Oireachtas Members, which will in various ways and through various inducements try to persuade Members of these Houses of the merits or demerits of particular policy proposals. When we talk about neutrality and security, we do not sufficiently engage in issues around what is happening with regard to cyber threats and hybrid threats. I genuinely believe there needs to be a programme of education for Members of these Houses about the potential threats that we individually face.

The Deputy is certainly not wrong. I agree with him. There is huge potential for people to be influenced in an unwitting way in most cases. The test that I always try and put forward is what is in the best interest of this country, not what is in the best interest of a particular ideology. Counter-drone capability will be very important for events during the Presidency. As the Deputy said, the airport was closed in Denmark during some of their major meetings because of drone activity. Lithuania takes the Presidency after us. Its airports have been closed on occasion because of balloons coming in from Belarus. The question is not whether this would happen, but how we deal with it when something does happen, whether that is drones or hybrid activity. We are committed to ensuring the State is equipped to counter-threats posed by drones, through a combination of investment in domestic capability and through international partnerships if it is appropriate. An Garda Síochána is responsible for this. It has counter-drone capacity in place in terms of both detection and mitigation. The Garda continues to build capacity. Additional funding has been given by the Government for this as well. The Defence Forces have an important role to play and they are also making significant investments in this.