Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to the House during Science Week 2023. I thank the Business Committee for scheduling this debate. Science Week is a celebration that many of us in the House and across society are passionate about. It is a celebration that, encouragingly, is growing in stature and significance every year.

I sometimes believe that, when we talk or think about science, it is considered the preserve of a few whereas Science Week is an inclusive participatory community where different abilities, aptitudes and attitudes are facilitated in the spirit of inquisitive fun. I was pleased to announce funding from my Department of €650,000 to support the staging of 15 festivals and hundreds of events nationwide this week as part of Science Week. I thank everyone who has worked so hard to make these events possible and so successful.

At the heart of Science Week is the spirit of inclusivity. Everyone is welcome, which is what makes it a success. Questioning, suggesting, answering, opining, challenging, probing, absorbing, considering, advancing, adapting, adopting and evolving are all part of the journey researchers travel daily, and it is one we all as citizens try to join in on during Science Week. I thank the volunteers nationwide, who are central to the design, build and operation of Science Week’s diverse activities.

This year’s theme is one word: “Human”. Science Week is asking people to consider what it means to be human in today’s world and how the decisions we make today will impact humans and the world of the future. What is in store for the next generation and the generation after that? What are we leaving behind? What are we not leaving behind but should? Whether it is the climate crisis, sustainability, AI, transport, evolving urban-rural dynamics, our rivers, lakes and oceans, modern interpersonal engagements and future-proofing tomorrow insofar as we can, the list of things to consider in terms of where we are at, where we might end up and the impact of that on humans is fascinating. In many ways, these are questions we have been trying to ask since the inception of my Department in 2020 and that we all continue to ask and work on today.

It is important the conversation I am talking about be a national one. I hope it is not one we only have one week per the year and that Science Week will epitomise the need to have it throughout the calendar and spark a conversation in the home, the workplace, the school and the community about the importance of science. Science Week is that window of opportunity where I hope everyone can feel that little bit more connected to science. It is critical that people do so. The coronavirus brought science centre stage on a global scale. Citizens of the world made it their business to ask questions and learn about the whys, hows, whens and ifs of science. While Science Week is a celebration of science and those who dedicate their lives to research, it is also about those who nurture an appreciation of science, be they our teachers, volunteers or anyone who helps to demystify science.

Science Week demonstrates that you do not have to be a scientist to get science. Curiosity lives within us all, and that is a good thing. It is what pushes us forward and motivates us through life. It is the quest to unearth things. I saw that great curiosity recently when I presented the Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, curious minds awards to two local schools in my county of Wicklow. The ideas from the children and the great work by the teachers to encourage involvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, subjects were great and encouraging to see for the future. That was replicated in many schools throughout our country. It is wonderful to see all the children who have been involved throughout the week of science. We need a science-curious and science-informed public. We need a science-passionate pipeline of talent coming through our education system and into our workplaces and across society more broadly.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the UNESCO World Science Day for Peace and Development, which took place last Monday and emphasised the need to engage the wider public in emerging scientific issues and build a link between science and society and societal needs. This is an important part of my Department and of any encouragement we can give to society to participate in the science fields and engage more to broaden our understanding of our planet and society as a whole.

Researchers across our higher education institutions are conducting critical work to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing the world today. The Government is pleased to support this community through a diverse portfolio of programmes and funding agencies. I thank all researchers for their commitment and wish them well in their future activities.

The House may remember that, in February, the Government agreed to establish new science advice structures, including a national science forum and the appointment of a chief scientific adviser. These new structures will complement and add to existing structures and develop science advice capacity across the whole of government. I am conscious of a point Deputy Naughten makes in the House about the importance of enabling advice to the Oireachtas and policymakers more broadly. That is something with which I agree. I am pleased to announce that the recruitment for a new science adviser is well under way, with an appointment likely early in the new year. This appointment will lead Ireland to be more proactive in our engagements with international science advice networks, which will be of considerable benefit to our country. I acknowledge that Deputy Naughten has shown great interest in this topic. Indeed, I am about to move on to his favourite topic.

Following Cabinet approval this week, I am happy to announce that I will now write to CERN to apply formally for Irish associate membership. I am aware that this is a development that has been eagerly awaited by our academic community for years and I thank its members for their assistance in bringing us to this milestone in Irish science and in preparing Ireland’s formal application. My Department has been working closely with CERN to expedite the application process and it is anticipated that the CERN Council may consider Ireland's application this December.

In the humble anticipation of a positive vote by the CERN Council, a positive assessment by its task force early in 2024 and allowing for our own legislative requirements, it is anticipated that Ireland's membership can commence in late 2024 with the Irish research community participating at CERN from day one of Irish membership. The expected Exchequer commitment is approximately €1.9 million per annum, for an initial period of five years. At that time, both Ireland and CERN will work together to consider the best membership options for Ireland.

Membership of CERN can be expected to bring many benefits to Ireland across research, industry, skills, science outreach and, of course, international relations. It will open doors for Ireland's researchers to participate in CERN's scientific programmes and would make Irish citizens eligible for staff positions and fellowships at CERN. With CERN membership, Irish citizens will gain access to CERN's formal training schemes. These include masters and PhD programmes, apprenticeships, a graduate engineering training scheme, internships for computer scientists and engineers, and technical training experience. These skills would be developed far beyond what is possible in Ireland and are in industry-relevant areas such as electronics, photonics, materials, energy systems and software. Membership will also allow Ireland's enterprises to compete in CERN procurement programmes. Much of CERN's instrumentation and equipment requires the development or exploitation of novel technologies, which spurs enterprise innovation. Many of these technologies have applications in other spheres such as medicine, space, energy and ICT.

Progressing Ireland’s application will involve engagement with the Cabinet, with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, with the Department of Foreign Affairs, with CERN and, ultimately, because it will require a resolution of this House, with Dáil Éireann. Cabinet approval has also to be obtained this week for the establishment of a national CERN co-ordination group to oversee the implementation of a strategy to ensure the best outcome for Ireland from its investment in CERN. The group will agree a set of criteria to monitor and assess the success of Ireland's participation. This group will work with existing structures in CERN towards this end. Given the strength of the Irish physics and wider research community, Ireland has every reason to be confident that it can make a significant contribution to the world-class research being undertaken at CERN and we should approach our membership with that degree of enthusiasm and confidence from day one.

This week, Science Week, I am also officially launching Quantum 2030, Ireland's first national strategy for quantum technologies. The Irish quantum community has been keenly anticipating the launch of this strategy. I had an opportunity to meet with some of that community this week. The publication of the strategy marks the adoption of its vision of Ireland as an internationally competitive hub for quantum technologies by 2030 as a whole-of-government policy goal. The first quantum revolution took place in the 20th century and resulted in technology including transistors, lasers, GPS and MRI. We are now in the early stages of a second quantum revolution. The quantum technologies now under development will provide strategic advantages in some of Ireland's foremost industry sectors including technology, pharmaceuticals, finance, industrial goods and manufacturing. With Quantum 2030, Ireland will be well positioned to make use of those advantages. The impact of quantum technologies is growing and its importance for Ireland in international competitiveness becomes more highly relevant by the day.

Billions of euros are invested by national governments, the European Commission, and corporate and private investors to gain access to an emerging market, estimated to grow to hundreds of billions of euro per annum, and to attain a strategic advantage in the applications enabled by quantum technologies. This quantum revolution is specifically relevant to Ireland. Irish researchers have recognised the potential of quantum technologies for innovation and competitiveness. Quantum computing has a long research tradition in Ireland documented by an impressive research output and international reputation to back it up. Today, Ireland has a significant level of expertise in quantum technology, with a talent pool and research portfolio relevant to the main pillars of the field. Ireland has a strategically important position in the technology sector as a competitive global hub. We appreciate the synergy between the quantum training programmes offered by industry partners and those run through our universities. Quantum computing application development activities in Ireland, both in academia and enterprise organisations, have been growing exponentially over the past three years.

We in Ireland believe that we can build on our existing successes in information and communication technologies to become a global leader in the research, development and innovation that underpins the quantum revolution and to become a hub for realising and exploiting the new opportunities in technologies, particularly quantum computing and communications. Our new strategy focuses the efforts of Ireland's quantum technologies community on areas of emerging growth where Ireland can achieve that competitive advantage. It aligns with the national vision of Ireland as an innovation-leading country where research and innovation are critical to economic growth. The strategy is designed to connect stakeholders from across the public sector, academia and industry - from multinational corporations to start-ups - to create a collaborative and generative ecosystem for quantum technologies. I am also happy to announce that the strategy is accompanied by the establishment of a new governance structure, chaired by my Department, comprising representatives from key Departments, industry and academia that will drive and oversee the implementation of the strategy.

A natural starting point for a career as a researcher is to undertake a PhD. This builds on the educational qualifications already achieved and supports PhD researchers to develop their research-specific skills. Under Impact 2030’s dedicated talent pillar, there is a clear emphasis on such students with the strategic objective of fostering a more consistent research student experience across higher education institutions, research disciplines and funders. With this in mind, last year I appointed two co-chairs, Dr. Andrea Johnson and Mr. David Cagney, to undertake an independent national review of State supports for PhD researchers, marking the first time this matter has been considered holistically in Ireland. Their first review report was published in June 2023 and included a recommendation to increase stipend levels, on which I achieved strong progress. To be clear, it said we need to get to €25,000, and that remains our aim. I am pleased that we were able to take a significant step forward, which becomes effective from January of next year and builds on previous funding increases secured. This first review report also included important analysis and findings on researcher career pathways, which, I suggest to anyone, are interesting to read and consider for many Members in this House and, indeed, for my Department. The co-chairs have now submitted their final review report and I intend to publish this shortly. My officials are preparing alongside this an action plan to implement recommendations arising from the entirety of the independent review.

I take the importance of the stipend issue. We have made progress. We need to make more. I also appreciate from my engagement with PhD researchers and from the reports and the work of the independent review that we need to do more beyond the stipend in terms of career pathways and a variety of issues. Visas and many other issues come up. We will publish the final report shortly but we will publish alongside that an action plan to show how we intend to take forward the recommendations.

From a science point of view, this has been an exciting year for my Department. It has been an exciting year for Ireland's science community with the quantum strategy, the application to join CERN, the advertisement of new scientific advisory structures with the appointment of a new Government chief scientific adviser to come early in the new year, the progress on PhD stipends with more to come, and the independent review of our PhD research ecosystem now complete.

The next big step that I intend to take is the proposed research and innovation Bill, which will be published shortly and will establish Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland as the new research and innovation funding agency for Ireland. I want to take a moment to thank my colleagues on the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for their considered recommendations, which have informed both the drafting process and the design of the new agency. The creation of Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland as the new research and innovation funding agency is a key action in Impact 2030. The new agency will build on the recognised and important strengths of both the Irish Research Council, IRC, and Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, in driving world-class research and innovation. It will fund research and innovation excellence in all disciplines. Professor Philip Nolan was appointed as chief executive officer designate in May 2023, putting the new agency’s transitional phase into very capable hands, as would be recognised by Members across the House. There will be no shocks and no sudden immediate changes to existing programmes that are being run or, indeed, to how they are being run. No one transferring to the new agency will have any diminution of his or her terms and conditions of employment, and this is also captured in the proposed legislation that we will debate in this House shortly. The new agency will build our capacity to respond to challenges and to embrace opportunities. Researchers from all disciplines - the arts and humanities, science and technology, the social sciences, engineering and maths - will be better able to work together on both the major issues and the exciting new possibilities and grand challenges that face our society, our country and our world.

The proposed research and innovation Bill will place arts, humanities and social sciences research on a statutory footing for the first time, which is important when one talks about the incredible work done by the IRC, which does not exist on a statutory basis. The IRC was set up by ministerial letter, effectively, as a suboffice of the HEA. For the first time, we are putting arts, humanities and social sciences research on a statutory footing and ensuring parity of esteem and developing on the IRC’s critical mission of supporting researchers of all disciplines, and at all career stages. In making competitive funding awards of varying sizes and across all disciplines, the agency will significantly broaden the access of researchers in all areas to an improved range of research funding programmes. Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland will be more than the sum of its parts.

The agency is going to deliver enhanced added value as part of the wider research and innovation system, building the capacity we need for research and innovation excellence into the future.

I thank Dáil Éireann for hosting and agreeing to these statements today, in the 28th year of Science Week. The world needs science now, more than ever. As Science Week has evolved from a relatively small initiative spearheaded by a relatively small number of individuals to become a movement with a dynamic presence in every county in Ireland, we endeavour also to achieve this with our enthusiasm and commitment to building on achievements to date and continuing to grow our commitment to this area. As we go forward into 2024, our research and innovation Bill will be in place, the new agency, Research Ireland, will be established, the new Government scientific advisor will be in place and we will be on the brink of joining CERN. We are working hard to place science at the heart of Government and the work of the Oireachtas and policy development in Ireland.

I thank everyone involved in Science Week, in whatever capacity, for their valuable contribution in instilling an appreciation of science, research and exploration among all people, and particularly our young people. I thank Oireachtas Members for their support of science in all its forms, be it as an employer, a multisectoral supplier or an innovator delivering groundbreaking products and processes in every facet of our lives. Underpinning both our society and economy, we need to make every effort to ensure that science's critical status is maintained.

In closing, I think there is a great onus on us, when we talk about the importance of science as an Oireachtas, when it comes to the development of policy, to follow always the science and embed evidence-based policymaking in all that we do here as a Parliament. I really hope the new structures that we put in place will further empower legislators in these Houses in the work that they need to do, and we all need to do, in facing some of the great challenges that our country and our world face.

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