James Lawless
Kildare North · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I am always open to feedback. The academics and authors of that report are entitled to their views, as are others. I just do not share all of their conclusions. As the Deputy said, the consultant spending was before my time. A lot of it was before the Department even existed.”
“More broadly, and this is something I think there is great potential to do more on, we are also promoting modern methods of construction, MMC, so we can embrace 2D or 3D models where they are either partially assembled off site and then brought to the location or almost fully assembled and the finished kit is brought into place.”
“In the energy space, that includes a commitment of €10 billion to enhance the grid capacity, because we need to be able to transit the energy as well as generate it, the workforce and the talent to do that - everything from retrofitting to green energy technicians and renewable energy engineers.”
“The capital funding envelop available to me is the mechanism through which I fund these projects, which is significant with €4.55 billion allocated across my Department for capital projects. SETU is the relevant institute in the south east, and it has multiple campuses, including a presence in the Xcelerate Centre at St.”
“I will recap on some of the measures I have introduced already because it is important to put them on the record again. In the previous budget, I was pleased to introduce the first ever permeant fee cut for students since free fees were introduced almost 30 years ago with a €500 permanent reduction.”
“Exactly. That is why we have a record €4.5 billion commitment across the sector. Regarding student facilities, there is the likes of the bundle 2 PPP programme which enhances student facilities on university campuses across the country.”
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“Some apprentices come forward and say they are happy to travel because they want to get through their programme and out the far side and increase their earnings, etc., by doing so. Supports are available in particular circumstances as well, particularly for members of the Traveller community, young people from particularly disadvantaged groups and learners from other under-represented groups in further education. There are some targeted schemes and financial supports available to assist in particular circumstances.”
“Again, I agree with the Deputy. Part of the situation is that when an apprentice is offered a place, they are offered the next available place. There is pressure on for good reason. I put that pressure on myself to get as many people trained as quickly as possible. I addressed some of the backlogs that had previously arisen during Covid, etc. As a place becomes available on a particular course, the student will be offered the next available place. That may not be close to home but they do have the option to refuse that place. They can do that up to three times without any consequence in terms of their allocation or their place in the queue. Sometimes, by doing that they can wait and get a place closer to home.”
“They are not available anywhere else, as I understand it, and that is because there is a particular speciality and set of knowledge within Kildare. There are probably exceptions. If people are doing a farrier apprenticeship, Kildare is where they go to do it. There are other skills. Wind turbine maintenance is available on the coast in Tralee, for example. There are other skills that are particular to specific areas. There is also the situation where apprentices are given an offer of a placement and they can decline that if it does not work for them. They can say "No" and then the place will be allocated to the next person on the list to take up. They get up to three refusals.”
“I have also heard anecdotally from engagement with employers who are taking on many apprentices that there can sometimes be a degree of arbitrariness in the system. Even though there is supposed to be a design and methodology in place, it appears that does not always manifest. This is something I have asked SOLAS to look at and take on. It is worth noting that apprenticeships are national programmes. As with every other post-secondary education route, it is not possible that every programme will be provided in every educational institution. An apprenticeship may be delivered through a particular local ETB but it is actually a national scheme. In our own county of Kildare, which myself and the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach share, farrier apprenticeships are available.”
“I thank Deputy McGettigan. I understand well the issue that she raises and I share her concern. It is well-placed. I have heard this myself from apprentices out in the field in different locations. I have heard about the challenges they face when they are sometimes placed somewhere far from home and how difficult that is to manage. Finding accommodation, of course, is a big complication as part of that as well. I know the Deputy raised this issue before the committee recently when she was there with SOLAS. I have raised it with SOLAS myself on a number of occasions, including very recently. I have actually asked SOLAS as a starting point to review the current placement and allocation system for apprentices, and then to fix it, and to identify any opportunities for improvement.”
“The Attorney General's advice is that it would not be appropriate in any event. For that reason, unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment. The Deputy will understand that, but I absolutely support the goals outlined. We can achieve those in other ways.”
“What this legislation will do is enable us to provide more training centres, training equipment, courses, skills and provision in order that we reach our shared goal of increasing the number of apprenticeships in the system. Turning to the amendment, there are many ways to achieve a similar result, including by means of a guidance note and some procurement. I note Deputy Gould's point about how other EU countries may transpose directives in different ways. Right now, the European Commission is looking at the procurement directive. Perhaps engaging as part of that process would be the way to proceed. If we were to jump the gun and introduce domestic legislation that may be in contravention of the EU legislation that is currently being reviewed, the sequencing would be wrong.”
“It is the largest increase ever. We are also working on the action plan for apprenticeships for the next five years. That is to run from 2026 to 2030. It is a work in progress. We are looking to go on from 78 to 79 to 80 etc., and to continually increase the number of occupations that can be accessed through apprenticeships. We are continuing to increase the numbers. As Deputy Cummins noted, we have a link to apprenticeships on the CAO page in order to promote a common entry point. There is very high demand for tradespeople and for apprentices more generally. That is exactly why we are supporting them by means of this legislation.”
“I think we are all in violent agreement that we need more apprentices. It is a programme for Government commitment I am working towards. The exact intention of this legislation is to give effect to it. We are opening up a €1.5 billion fund we can use for exactly the kind of things Deputy Gould spoke so passionately about. Cork Education and Training Board has many proposals for training centres it can develop which will host apprentices. It has my support regarding those initiatives. These are the kinds of things we can look to do on with moneys from this fund once we have managed to unlock it. It will certainly benefit apprenticeships and apprenticeship training. In the budget, we provided a record level of funding for apprenticeships, €410 million, which is an historic high, with an additional €79 million pledged this year alone.”
“I agree with the Deputy on advancing and supporting them as a career pathway but, unfortunately, I cannot accept the amendment for the reasons outlined.”
“They are not equal and opposite but are equally valid and strong career paths. The Deputy knows because we have engaged on this a number of times in policy debates that there are many apprenticeships now across a range of areas. I think we are up to 78 apprenticeship courses, having started in the low 20s or 30s not so many years ago. It continues to broaden and I continue to be amazed when I visit training centres around the country at the range of apprenticeships available, everything from cybersecurity to planning digital marketing and wind turbine maintenance. New areas are being identified all the time. My Department is continuing to explore further opportunities to create apprenticeships and using that tried and trusted methodology as a pathway into careers across many areas.”
“The guidance note on public procurement is something that can be examined. We can look at whether there are ways outside of a legislative amendment to achieve the same goal without binding legislation but by including within the guidance note some of the intention of the amendment, which is very fair. On apprenticeships more broadly, the Deputy is right they should never be seen as second best or a second-choice option. It was interesting to look at our neighbours across the water in the UK. Prime Minister Starmer had a goal that one in every two students would progress to university and recently revised that at his party conference. The goal is now, rather than one in every two going to university, two in every three will go on to either university or an apprenticeship. That is exactly the right approach.”
“It could be considered discriminatory or disproportionate and may lack flexibility for different types of tender, contractor or contracting authorities. I know this is not the intention but it could have the result of excluding smaller contractors and the supply chains which flow from them, which could reduce competition and undermine opportunities for SMEs to get involved. There would also be a need for an SME test and full regulatory impact analysis to be performed, which would be quite a complication and take considerable time. Unfortunately, it would require significant re-examination to consider accepting it and extensive legal parameters would have to be explored, along with a regulatory impact analysis. All of those other measures would have to be considered.”
“The awarding of contracts must be conducted in accordance with the general principles of EU law, emanating from the case law of the CJEU, including principles of non-discrimination, equal treatment, proportionality, transparency and mutual recognition. Closer to home, the Office of Government Procurement has provided guidance in the area. In 2023, it issued an information note on apprenticeships and public procurement. These guidelines are based on established Government policy, which envisaged the adoption of any conditionality in respect of apprenticeship to be on a case-by-case basis, rather than being enshrined in legislation, which would be very restrictive and could create a risk of unintended consequences.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta for the amendment. I thank him for his engagement on this matter on Committee Stage and again today. I fully understand the intention behind the amendment. If accepted, the amendment would impose a procurement condition on contractors to provide apprenticeships or training opportunities for NTF-funded works related to the acquisition of land, premises, furniture or equipment and the upgrade, construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, etc., of premises. I am unable to accept the amendment. I have looked at and engaged on it and I have taken advice on it, including legal advice from the Attorney General and advice from the Office of Government Procurement. I will set out the reasons I cannot accept it. Essentially, Ireland's public procurement framework is a matter of EU law as well as domestic law.”
“A €1.5 billion retrofitting programme would create a lot of employment for apprentices. It would be quite extraordinary if we were to spend the entire NTF surplus on retrofitting. It is probably unlikely to happen. In any event, the provisions in the existing legislation set out clearly that it can only be used for particular well-defined purposes which have stood the test of time for 25 years. I do not propose to change that in any regard. It remains absolutely true to the original mission of the Act. I welcome the engagement, but it is not sensible to add in such extra constraints at this stage.”
“I thank the Deputy. She has eloquently outlined part of the rationale of this. She has spoken about the experience not just of the learners but also of the teachers. I agree that it is unfair to have them in draughty old buildings when we could take the opportunity to retrofit, refurbish and upgrade them and provide a state-of-the-art new facility by doing so. We are of like mind in that regard. I do not think Deputy McGettigan's amendment is appropriate. I suggest that tying our hands in such a way and precluding the possibility of upgrading these buildings would be a retrograde step. For that reason, I do not accept the amendment.”
“For that reason, I do not accept either part of this amendment. I understand where the Deputy is coming from. I accept her good intentions and I appreciate her solid engagement on this matter on Committee Stage and previously. For the reasons outlined, it would not be appropriate to accept these amendments.”
“That is an example and there are many more all around the country. It would be unjust and unfair for us to say that an old building like this cannot be restored. The upshot of the amendment would be to condemn it, in effect. We should say to people that they can take these old buildings, put them back into use, refurbish them, retrofit them and get them back in action. This would allow us to deliver more training through these buildings, which are often well located. Given the strong potential we have in some of these buildings, why would we abandon them and go building on greenfield sites elsewhere? We have an opportunity to upgrade them for the purpose of upskilling and training. Everything that is done will be done in accordance with the original purpose of the Act, which we are not changing.”
“Where facilities under those programmes are being modernised or reconfigured to meet skills needs, some refurbishment and retrofitting work may still be required to ensure compliance with the necessary standards. The proposed amendment would prevent that necessary upgrading of the training and educational facilities. In my time as Minister, I have had the pleasure of visiting many of these facilities around the country from Killybegs to Kerry, across the midlands and in places like Merlin in Galway. I have seen many fine buildings. A few weeks ago I was in Killybegs, where an old historic building has been creatively and skilfully restored by the local ETB and is now being used to provide multiple blocks of apprenticeship and training in areas like woodwork, manufacturing, refrigeration and electrics.”
“If we have a building that is used as a training centre from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a local community group wants to use it from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., we would be saying here that the door is closed and locked, and nobody else can go into it or ever use it at any future time. I am sure that is not the intended purpose of the amendment. We have to be careful that we do not unintentionally apply unwarranted and unnecessary restrictions, particularly at a time when we are trying to utilise the infrastructure we have to the maximum. The proposal that the payments should not include payments for retrofitting is also restrictive. Capital funding from the NTF will be directed towards programmes with clear links to training and skills development.”
“The Bill provides already that the capital funding can only be used "to raise the skills of those in employment", "to provide training" to those seeking employment and "to provide information" in relation to skills needs. If we were to provide that the payments may only relate to "construction or reconstruction" of "a premises that is only used for training and educational purposes", it could have the unintended consequence of preventing alternative uses of that building at a later stage. Such uses could be for community education, other community uses, as part of other educational facilities or for other community or societal needs. One of the things we are striving towards with the real estate within my Department and across government is to maximise utilisation of buildings.”
“It might complicate the legislation and would certainly be difficult for anyone to follow and try to apply were it to be added. It is the case that the capital funding can only be used "to raise the skills of those in employment", "to provide training" to those seeking employment and "to provide information" about skills needs. It is my view, following advices, that the proposed amendment is not required. The second part of the amendment, which provides for "these payments to only relate to the construction or reconstruction (not retrofitting) of a premises that is only used for training and educational purposes", could potentially have unintended consequences.”
“That is called out in it. The Bill already provides that payments for "the acquisition of lands, premises, furniture or equipment" and "the upgrading, construction or reconstruction, including repair and maintenance, of premises" can only be made for the purposes specified already in section 7(1) of the National Training Fund Act 2000. Those purposes have not been changed. They are "to raise the skills of those in employment", "to provide training to those who wish to acquire skills for the purposes of taking up employment" and "to provide information in relation to existing, or likely future, requirements for skills in the economy". That provision has been in the Act for 25 years and it will stay in the Act. While I understand the Deputy's motivation, it is superfluous to put it in again.”
“I thank the Deputy for her engagement on the Bill, including on Committee Stage. I understand the intent or rationale behind the amendment. However, I do not propose to accept it and I will give the reasons. There are two parts to the amendment. I will take each one separately. The first part of the amendment, which provides for "these payments to only relate to training and upskilling and not for any other purpose", is surplus to requirements. I sought legal advice on the drafting of the Bill. We considered carefully what was required to be put into the legislation. The strong advice was that overcomplicating it with unnecessary restrictions could do more harm than good and could have unintended consequences. We could tie ourselves up in knots with different restrictions. The Bill is already clear on the purpose of the fund.”
“As George Bernard Shaw put it, “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” That is a responsibility that all of us in this House hold dearly and that we are fulfilling through initiatives like science week and the research initiatives we have discussed. I want our young people, our up-and-coming research and innovation talent, to see this as a time for curiosity - curiosity is always a good thing - and a chance to write the next chapter of Ireland’s success story. STEM and science are for everyone, and science week is a fantastic opportunity to open the door for the next generation and let them see their own potential futures in the world of science and to unleash a new halo effect of ideas, skills and discoveries that will bring benefit to every community in this country.”
“I thank all of the teams involved in science week for their valuable contributions, creativity and imagination and for instilling an appreciation of science, research and innovation, especially among our younger people. I would like every young person in Ireland to feel that science belongs to them in order that they can follow their dreams and realise their full potential. I thank the Business Committee of the House for scheduling the time to discuss science week today and its value in generating public discourse and raising awareness of the critical role of science in terms of our past, present and future. We live in a time of rapidly accelerating change and of exciting new opportunities and breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe.”
“Over the coming years, I want to deliver on the promise of this sector, forging a more cohesive and collaborative system, boosting and modernising the infrastructure which enables it and maximising the capacity and impact of the system as an economic engine for growth to future proof it and make it more diverse, agile and capable of not just withstanding but of responding to and shaping the opportunities of a rapidly changing world. I commend Research Ireland on its leadership role in supporting and co-ordinating science week in a very visible and very inclusive way. I congratulate Dr. Diarmuid O'Brien, the new CEO who recently taken up office, on his leadership of the organisation. Science week plays a key role in demystifying many of the complexities of science and bringing it to every town and community in Ireland.”
“This represents a significant national achievement and is a powerful endorsement of Ireland's capacity and our growing strength as an innovator on the European landscape. Reaching this milestone has been made possible through the collective efforts of our research community, our universities and enterprises, and the robust partnerships we have built across Europe. As we look ahead, we expect that the final work programme publication under Horizon Europe will be launched before the end of this year. This will open future opportunities for Ireland's researchers and innovators to build on this success and continue to shape Ireland’s scientific future. In recent years, we have made enormous progress in developing a thriving research and innovation ecosystem and we will continue to build on this momentum.”
“All of this work takes place in the context of the Impact 2030 strategy, which is bringing greater cohesiveness and effectiveness to our national research and innovation system, forging closer links between the Department, Research Ireland, the Higher Education Authority, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. We continue to forge closer links across the research and innovation ecosystem. As the Minister with the research and science portfolio, I was delighted to mark in September, along with Enterprise Ireland and other partners, the achievement of reaching the €1 billion milestone in funding drawn down through the Horizon framework. Irish agencies, business and players helped to take the framework to the next level and achieve a €1 billion drawdown in Horizon funding.”
“Critically, they will drive academic collaboration with industry and others to maximise knowledge transfer from our higher education institutions to the wider economy and society. These centres, alongside the accelerating research to commercialisation, ARC, hubs, give SMEs a front door into innovation so the benefits of science are felt throughout the country, in Athlone and Letterkenny as much as in Dublin and Cork. Another approach to driving innovation to market is through the ARC hubs that I mentioned. The ARC hub programme aims to transform cutting-edge, publicly funded research into market-ready applications and innovations, fostering regional development and boosting economic growth and activity.”
“AI has boundless possibilities, which are only beginning to be understood, and I am intrigued to see how this subject is going to be explored during Science Week. Research Ireland centres have had a huge impact on innovation and economic development, linking researchers in partnerships across academia and industry in areas of strategic focus. I will be announcing the launch of the new programme of globally competitive research centres in early 2026. These research centres will drive research and innovation in areas of national strategic importance, building connectivity with industry and supporting regional development, while providing PhD training aligned with future skills needs and enhancing our chances of success when competing for European funding.”
“We know also that AI must be developed in an appropriate regulation, with policy that allows for innovation but prioritises the safety of its users and ensures that biases are mitigated from the outset. We must challenge the limitations of data sets, the AI slop we talk about and the model becoming perpetuating, and ensure quality responses and outputs from large language models. The ongoing need for cutting-edge research in this rapidly evolving area is now impacting on almost every area in its work. Research Ireland is also a key lever in enabling our AI technological progress, providing the talent, skills and career paths into high potential sectors engaging with AI, particularly in the pharma, medtech and data science areas.”
“We can run the same experiments faster and more repeatedly and capture the vast data flowing from them to make real breakthroughs in many fields. It is already happening, in fact, and my role is to ensure that Ireland is at the table and playing a significant part of it, and ensuring the skills and research ecosystems are up to speed and leading edge so our researchers and academics can play a major role. There are also huge opportunities commercially for companies in Ireland to develop AI capability but they need the talent to work with it. We provide a broad range of skilling, upskilling and reskilling initiatives, including through the funding of PhDs in disciplines involving digital technologies and their application.”
“Al is recognised as a key priority for the Government, and my Department provides support in the development of a national digital and artificial intelligence strategy, working with the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, who have a specialist focus on the area. How artificial intelligence integrates into our lives is of concern to all of us, as it increasingly impacts how we do business, how we work and how we interact with other people. It has great potential to enhance our lives and transform the way we live and work by creating efficiencies and helping us find solutions to some of our greatest challenges. The power of technology can be used to bring knowledge together in many new ways. There is a real prospect of accelerated scientific discovery.”
“For a team that was not even participating in the initiative until a few months ago, I am proud to report to the House that it came second out of 14 in the bid it put in, based on excellent science. Well done to ICHEC and the University of Galway. These breakthroughs open doors for researchers, developers, public bodies and institutions across Ireland. They provide access to cutting-edge infrastructure, expert support and European AI networks. From climate to health to transport to advanced manufacturing, this will accelerate innovation across every corner of our economy and society.”
“Quantum technologies represent an important part of Ireland's aspirations in the field of deep tech, owing to their vast potential to impact critical strategic domains, including semiconductors, life sciences, sustainable energy, financial services, cybersecurity, climate modelling and much more. Another development which gives local researchers access to state-of-the art European and international resources is the recent successful AI Factory Antenna bid, led by the ICHEC team and the University of Galway. I had the pleasure of visiting them on Monday morning and I was impressed by their excellence and commitment to leading class research using high-performance computing and supercomputers. They are particularly enthused that joining the European quantum pact and the EuroHPC agreement allows them to collaborate and pitch for ideas.”
“We have international engagement across Europe and we are strengthening Ireland's position as a hub of European research excellence by maximising opportunities for researchers to collaborate on key emerging technologies. I am ambitious for Ireland to be a change maker and not a change taker, and to be a maker and shaper of new technologies. In June, I signed Ireland up to the European quantum pact, which allows Irish scientists and researchers to engage with their EU counterparts in the field of quantum, building on our own expertise in this area.”
“In that vein, I recently launched the Global Talent Ireland programme, which represents a critical initiative in the current global environment to attract outstanding international researchers to Irish higher education institutions and to join public research bodies. There has been a remarkable response to this call, which clearly demonstrates the timeliness of the initiative and our position as a beacon to attract world-class research talent. We stand ready to welcome these researchers who aspire to make a meaningful impact, economically and societally, in their fields and disciplines, while advancing their careers here in Ireland. By investing in global research talent, we are also strengthening Ireland's own position as a hub at the heart of Europe for research excellence, innovation and opportunity.”
“Between 2020 and 2024, over 2,500 PhD students were funded through Research Ireland through a suite of structured PhD and post doctorate programmes that provide a pipeline of highly skilled researchers for careers in academia and industry. It is also important to look further afield and welcome top tier international research talent to Ireland. Doing so expands our research talent base and allows the cross-pollination and fertilisation of ideas, with new thoughts from outside our normal circles. We are now inviting these talented individuals here, many of whom are uncertain of where to turn next with changing global events and different priorities for science in other jurisdictions. Ireland offers stability, opportunity, excellence and a warm welcome to researchers on the move. We also offer a gateway to the European Union.”
“Putting the arts into STEM to get STEAM is equally important, as we teach people how to think and assess a set of facts, and how to apply a lens, whether through history, economics, literature, languages or the core STEM subjects. Research talent is a priority for the Government. It is essential that we build on our research capacity, developing and extending our talent base, and increase the level of research and development being undertaken to support it. The Department, working through Research Ireland, supports the development of excellence in research talent through all phases of the research and innovation pipeline, from early career, frontier and blue skies research to programmes of scale, such as its research centres which foster large-scale collaborations across academia and industry.”
“It creates opportunity without overheating or placing undue demands on the construction sector, and it compounds in value through ideas, skills and innovation. It can be quickly ramped up, it can deliver at scale and it does not have the complex process that surround physical infrastructure. In addition, the budget announcement of an increase in the research and development tax credit from 30% to 35% demonstrates our commitment to industry in terms of partnering research sector collaborations in academia and enterprise. One of my hopes for initiatives such as Science Week is that they will help young people to discover a love of science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM, and ultimately develop careers in the STEM field, perhaps even going on to be researchers.”
“This outcome and prioritisation within the national development plan and within my budget are a recognition of the need to invest in that national research and innovation system as an engine of our knowledge economy. This planned investment in research infrastructure is both critical and timely because we want to continue to maintain our international reputation for research excellence and for fostering exceptional research talents. We need to modernise the equipment the students and researchers are using and bring it into the 21st century and beyond. Working off old equipment limits discoveries and also the student, teaching and learning experience. Renewing it ensures that every graduate is being trained on the tools of tomorrow and not yesterday. Research infrastructure is light on concrete but heavy on capacity creation.”
“This allocation recognises my Department for what it is, namely, an economic Ministry with levers that shape productivity, resilience and long-term growth across the whole wider economy and society, and my prioritisation of research and innovation as a key enabler for economic and social progress. The recently published action plan for competitiveness and productivity also places front and centre the centrality of research and innovation to Ireland's future economic performance. This theme was also writ large in the Draghi report and the Letta response, which we saw across the European Union. To be competitive, we must excel at science and invest in research.”
“I am pleased to tell the House I have secured funding to enable us to deliver on these commitments through transformative investment under the national development plan in research, education and innovation, all of which will secure long-term returns for Irish society and our economy. A strong economy powers a strong society because it creates the resources that we can use for the public good. In a watershed moment, and in keeping with the theme of "Then. Today. Tomorrow." when we look back at the initiatives and moments that have the power to change the landscape of research and science, over half of my Department's €4.5 billion national development plan capital budget will now be earmarked for research and innovation initiatives.”
“I spoke with some of the team of engineers who are working at CERN on the ATLAS experiment. They are working on technical challenges in terms of the power supply and supporting of the CERN detectors that actually pick up the collisions inside the Large Hadron Collider. Primary school students around the country this week are taking part in an instruction on data science as part of the physics run by CERN and hosted by the Microsoft Dream Space. This kind of pioneering advancement can only happen when backed by significant Government support, as reflected and called out in the programme for Government which I am now implementing. This makes significant commitments in support of research and innovation.”
“That is all now addressed through our membership and Irish people can proudly walk in the front door and be very much part of the team, collaborating and benefiting from all that this bestows upon us. CERN membership means opportunities for Irish firms to win contracts, for students to gain experience at the frontier of physics and for our regions to benefit from skills and the know-how that flow back. Of course, CERN is about leading-edge particle physics but it is also about so much else. It is about data science, data storage, reflectors, electromagnetism and engineering, even to the extent of tunnelling and creating every new round of the Large Hadron Collider. For example, we see new partnerships emerging. I was at Munster Technological University last week, at the Tralee campus.”
“We are now an associate member state and we are taking our place among the nations of the world. In so doing, we have entered one of the world's most prestigious scientific collaborations, opening the door for academia and enterprise to rise to the next level in terms of scientific innovation. Ireland joining CERN had long been an outstanding ambition of mine. When I was in opposition I advocated for Ireland's associate membership of CERN. Previously, as a student and long before I was a Minister, I visited CERN on a couple of occasions and I was shocked at how Irish students at that time had to effectively go in the back door. Ireland did not have access and students could not participate. Irish companies could not tender.”
“We were one of the first countries to see the importance of promoting science nationally in this way and have created opportunities for education and public engagement with science and research. This builds on the success of the recently hosted maths week only a few weeks ago. Weeks like this, and these outreach events, are so important to reach out to the next generation of researchers, academics and students and showcase what is possible, as well as bringing to bear with a wider audience some of the applications of science in everyday life. Our international standing as a nation that greatly values science is reflected in landmark achievements. Last month, on 22 October, Ireland officially joined the European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN.”
“I very much want to reach out to colleagues in the Chamber and beyond because there is very strong collaborative cross-party support for Science Week and the initiatives that flow from it, as well as for science, research and innovation as a policy more broadly, in the course of our mutual work here in the Oireachtas and through the engagements Members have in their constituencies and communities, and policy initiatives more generally. Scientific research has an enormous influence on almost every aspect of our lives, from healthcare, technology, transport, agriculture, food and climate to education, sport, well-being, entertainment and so much else. Ireland is very much leading, having a long-established Science Week that is co-ordinated nationally and is delivered and hosted regionally.”