Department of the Taoiseach

some reform is agreed at EU level, countries generally have about two years to write those changes into national law.

There's been a slight deterioration in Ireland's record meeting these deadlines, which Calinan, the Sec Gen in the Department of Taoiseach, said was disappointing given Ireland was holding the Council of the EU Presidency at the moment.

The senior civil servant said delays were down to squabbles over which department or unit would take responsibility for legislation.

and the fact legal advice from the Attorney General was being sought too late in the day.

Now, before that attack, the government spent 15 million euros a year on the National Cyber Security Centre.

And to give you a contrast of priorities of government spending, the government spent the same amount of money on press statements from the Department of the Taoiseach in that year.

One publicity department in one ministerial department got as much money as our whole cyber defence National Security Centre in that year.

And as a result, we're paying through the nose for the cost of that.

Now, an investigation by the Irish Times earlier this year found that hundreds of millions of euro worth of alumina is being exported from Auchinish to Russian smelters every year, with those exports increasingly significantly impacting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

So what does the latest move by Ukraine mean for Auchinish and what action should Ireland take? I'm joined on the line by the Minister of State, At the Department of the Taoiseach and Department of Foreign Affairs, Fianna Fáil TD from Meath East, Thomas Byrne.

Minister, good morning and welcome to the programme.

Good morning, Adrian.