Ireland and UK Establish Subsea Cable Incident Reporting Protocol

• •Ireland and the UK have established a new protocol for reporting subsea cable incidents.
• •The Eastern Pearl tabletop exercise tested responses to potential disruptions in cable security.
• •75% of transatlantic cables pass through Irish waters, highlighting the need for enhanced maritime security.

Ireland and the UK have launched a new incident-reporting protocol for subsea cables, confirmed by Minister for Defence Helen McEntee at the EU Maritime Security Conference on October 28, 2026. This protocol aims to enhance the security of critical maritime infrastructure, with 75% of transatlantic cables traversing Irish waters. A joint tabletop exercise, Eastern Pearl, was conducted to test responses to potential disruptions, although details of the exercise remain undisclosed. The initiative follows Ireland's first National Maritime Security Strategy, emphasizing the need for improved cooperation to safeguard subsea cables and energy pipelines. The protocol is part of broader efforts to address vulnerabilities in maritime infrastructure amid increasing hybrid threats, particularly from Russia. The Irish Defence Forces are also set to connect to the EU's Common Information Sharing Environment by 2027 to bolster intelligence sharing.