A Fianna Fáil Senator has called for what she described as a “robot defence network” to help protect undersea cables and tackle “illegal maritime activity” off the Irish coast.
Speaking following discussions at the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence this week, Fianna Fáil Limerick Senator Dee Ryan said Ireland should invest further in robotics and autonomous technologies to monitor critical infrastructure and respond to emerging security threats.
Ryan said that the scale of subsea infrastructure running through Irish waters meant new approaches were needed to monitor it effectively.
“Roughly 75% of the digital traffic coming into Europe passes through our waters,” she said.
“That alone shows how strategically important this infrastructure is.
“Whilst we all understand the importance of this infrastructure, we equally have to be realistic about the scale of monitoring involved and the resources we have to support us.”
Ryan argued that conventional approaches to maritime monitoring were difficult to sustain over large areas of sea, and suggested robotics could form part of a broader response.
“Protecting vast areas of sea through traditional methods is extremely difficult,” she said.
“I think there is an opportunity for us to utilise robotics and autonomous technologies to form part of the solution.”
The Fianna Fáil Senator also pointed to increasing concerns around hybrid threats and geopolitical instability, saying advances in robotics and autonomous systems could play a role in protecting subsea cables and wider digital infrastructure.
Ryan additionally said the Mid-West was well placed to benefit economically from increased investment in the sector.
“Limerick already has world leading expertise in robotics and intelligent systems through the University of Limerick and the Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems,” she said.
“There is an opportunity for the Mid-West to position itself at the forefront of robotics, AI and maritime security technology, creating high skilled jobs and attracting significant investment at the same time.”
She also said the technology could have wider applications beyond cable protection and maritime surveillance.
“Investment in robotics and maritime monitoring technology could also support wider uses including disaster response, environmental monitoring, search and rescue operations and tackling illegal maritime activity,” Ryan added.
Concerns around the security of subsea cables and critical maritime infrastructure have grown across Europe in recent years amid rising geopolitical tensions and reports of suspected sabotage incidents in European waters.
Ireland’s waters are considered strategically significant due to the number of transatlantic fibre optic cables connecting Europe and North America that pass through the country’s exclusive economic zone.