Dublin: Ireland’s health authority said Friday it had shut down its computer systems after experiencing a “significant ransomware attack”. “We have taken the precaution of shutting down all our IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow us (to) fully assess the situation with our own security partners,” the Health Service Executive said on Twitter. “We apologise for inconvenience caused to patients and to the public and will give further information as it becomes available,” it added, stressing Ireland’s coronavirus vaccination programme was unaffected and “going ahead as planned”. Another ransomware attack last Friday forced the shutdown of the United States’ largest fuel pipeline network, leading to some panic buying at gasoline stations along the east coast.