Minister advises schools to contact Gardaí over AI‑generated hoax threats

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the priority for schools receiving a possible threat is to contact the Gardaí immediately.

On 11 November, a hoax threat email was sent to hundreds of schools in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Italy, prompting widespread precautionary measures. McEntee told Newstalk Breakfast that every school she spoke to had engaged with the Gardaí, who provided advice on how to respond.

She commended principals, staff and parents for their reaction and noted that different schools acted in various ways, which she considered a normal response. The minister stressed that the current recommendation remains to ring the Gardaí and, if necessary, dial 999, and that schools may decide to evacuate if they deem a risk.

McEntee warned that the ease of generating such threats with AI could lead to more incidents and highlighted recent hoax threats affecting flights across Europe. She said Irish authorities are working with European partners to assess any links between the incidents.

The Gardaí are reviewing the situation and will issue further guidance for schools as needed.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Anil Sharma / Pexels.