In a change to the Late Late Show’s lineup, Taoiseach Micheál Martin appeared as a guest to discuss the threats, and while he said it was too early to identify who was responsible for the attacks, he admitted there was a ‘Russian dimension’ to them.

RTÉ were among several media organisations in the country that were hit with bomb threats on Friday morning (November 6). The threats against the media organisations come just days after several flights were diverted due to bomb threats, and several fridges in supermarket chains such as SuperValu were hacked.

‘I think you can say that this is co-ordinated in terms of the airlines [threats], and the online refrigeration systems in certain shops,’ Mr Martin told Patrick Kielty on Friday night.

‘People may not realise the biggest threat we face right now on a continuing 24/7 basis is cyber security attacks… We’ve built up our capacities very significantly in the last three to four years, but it is a constant battle.’

Mr Martin added that while he couldn’t say for certain who was responsible for the attacks, he added that there was a ‘general view’ that the attacks on the media, the planes and the supermarkets had a ‘Russian dimension’ to them.

While Friday’s incident turned out to be a hoax, Mr Martin was asked whether he believes such threats could materialise, and he said it’s important to remain vigilant.

‘We have to go on the evidence we have; it depends,’ Mr Martin said. ‘The Leipzig drone incident was a serious one, which could’ve had serious knock-on consequences.

‘So we have to be very vigilant about all of this, the range of threats the security forces assess on a regular basis. It’s a far more challenging world today than it would have been five or six years ago.’

Mr Martin appeared on Today with David McCullagh after it returned to the air following the bomb threat, vowing to identify those responsible.

‘All countries in the EU share intelligence and information, and in the era we find ourselves in, we are currently focused on safety, and those with expertise will pursue this,’ Mr Martin said.

The Taoiseach advised all employers to take these threats seriously and refer all suspect emails and threats to the Gardaí.

Asked if he was particularly worried about the number of dignitaries coming to Ireland next week, Micheál Martin said, ‘ We are working hard towards next week, and it does highlight that the security stakes are higher than they have been in Ireland, but our ultimate priority is being in a position to hold these meetings, and Defence Forces and Gardaí are to be commended for their work towards the coming week. Mr Martin added he is confident in our capacity to host these dignitaries next week.