The new council, chaired by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, will review strategic developments in Ireland’s national security, and consider reports on national and international security.

Membership of the council will also include the Tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs and trade and minister for defence, Simon Harris, and the minister for justice, home affairs and migration, Jim O’Callaghan.

The Garda Commissioner, the Defence Forces chief of staff, the director of the National Cyber Security Centre, the secretaries general of government, foreign affairs, defence and justice, and the Taoiseach and Tánaiste’s chiefs of staff will also attend meetings.

The ministerial council will meet at least three times a year, fulfilling a programme for government commitment for increased coordination of national security under the Department of Taoiseach.

A national security committee chaired by the secretary general of the government will meet quarterly to review national security developments, ensure cross-government cooperation, and to prepare reports for the ministerial council.

Mr Martin said: “This new Ministerial Council on National Security is in response to an increasingly complex and challenging geopolitical and security situation across the world.

“We are facing new cyber and hybrid threats, as well as an ongoing bloody and immoral invasion by Russia of Ukraine, which poses an existential threat to EU member states.

“This new structure fulfils a programme for government commitment and will allow increased coordination and assessment of Ireland’s national security needs, capabilities and risks.”