TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said that a new meeting room in Government buildings at a cost of close to €1m will protect communications with world leaders.
Martin made the remarks today at a Select Committee while discussing revised estimates for 2026 for the Department of Taoiseach.
The revised estimates provide more detail on allocations announced in the Budget.
It sets out any changes that have been made and provides a more detailed breakdown of expenditure across all Government Departments.
Labour TD Ged Nash noted in the revived estimates for 2026, there was a 184% increase in the spend on “premises expenses” within the Department of Taoiseach.
This figure stood at €522,000 last year but jumped up to €1.48m this year, an increase of €958,000.
Nash said there was a reference to this increase as being needed to “fulfil mandatory requirements for secure meeting facilities to allow continued engagement with international partners”.
In response, Martin noted that Ireland is a member of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of 34 countries that have pledged strengthened support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“Take meetings with the Coalition of the Willing,” said Martin.
“Some of those meetings – not all – would have sensitive things said and you need ‘Nato proof’ secure facilities, that’s a standard now that you need.”
“Nato proof” is a term used to describe equipment which has been approved and certified to meet the strict standards set out by Nato.
“We have one in the country,” said Martin, “and we need one in Government Buildings, for ease and so on.
“It’s required because surveillance is everywhere.”
Such secure communications equipment are often called SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), which is the term used by the US Department of Defence.
They protect against electronic surveillance and suppress data leaks.
