Committee on Artificial Intelligence to discuss defence, security and cybersecurity

The Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI), chaired by Deputy Malcolm Byrne, will meet to discuss defence, security and cybersecurity on Tuesday, the 14th of April, at 11.00 am in Committee Room 4.

The Committee will hear from officials and witnesses from across the public sector including:

• Mr. Richard Browne , Director, National Cyber Security Centre
• Mr. Joseph Stephens, Director of Resilience in the NCSC, National Cyber Security Centre
• Brigadier General Mark Staunton, Communications and Information Services Corps, Irish Defence Forces
• Commander Brian Matthews, JCDC Communications and Information Service specialist, Irish Defence Forces
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael Cullen, JCDC Communications and Information Service specialist. Irish Defence Forces
• Mr. Jason Kearney, Director, Department of Defence
• Mr. Liam Morrow, Principal Officer, Information & Communication Technologies Branch, Department of Defence
• Mr. Derek Byrne, Principal Officer, Information & Communication Technologies Branch, Department of Defence

Speaking before the meeting, the Cathaoirleach Deputy Malcolm Byrne said:

"In the first in a series of meetings on defence, security and cybersecurity, the Committee looks forward to engaging with officials on this issue as the area of Artificial Intelligence and Defence, Security and Cybersecurity is arguably one of the most critical for our committee. We know about the risks of cyberattacks emanating from other States, notably Russia, China, and Iran, and by non-State actors already on Ireland. We have seen time and time again the implications of not having robust cybersecurity measures in place and its impact on our own public services including the 2021 HSE cyberattack. If these are AI enabled, there are even greater challenges, particularly given the pace at which the technology is developing.

However, we will also be exploring how we can use artificial intelligence to identify and tackle these threats to the nation's security. AI has the potential to transform our cybersecurity measures from reactive to proactive, preventing and predicting attacks before reaching our critical online infrastructure and protecting our democratic values."

The Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The Committee meeting can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV. Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.