Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Science Week is incredibly important. We recognise the huge potential we have as humans and the massive strides we have made through science. It is also fair enough to say huge difficulties have been created by certain aspects. Speaking as a constituency Teachta Dála, I have seen some of the positive work that has been done by the likes of SOLAS and the Louth-Meath Education and Training Board, LMETB, with the Ó Fiaich Institute of Further Education and Drogheda Institute of Further Education, and the multiple paths there are now to education that did not exist when I was growing up. I spoke to the Minister of State about the pre-apprenticeship route before and been generally supportive of it, although a lot more concentration is needed. We recognise the absolute necessity of craft apprenticeships, which we need now more than ever, especially when we are talking about housebuilding, retrofitting and so on.

Beyond that, I have seen pre-tech apprenticeship courses and have visited Dunshaughlin, where FIT has a joint operation with LMETB. The centre also provides necessary training on white goods, a skill set needed in every town and area of Ireland because there are not enough people with such training when your oven or fridge go on the blink. From the point of view of taking action on climate change, we need to ensure such goods last longer than they have in recent times. I was really impressed with some of these pre-tech apprenticeship courses. They deal with people who would not necessarily be able to get onto certain other courses at the point they are currently at in their lives. I have seen people being able to make that journey right through learning and on to getting qualifications and then getting employment, the most important part, in areas such as cybersecurity and robotics. We really need to do more work in that area.

I commend some of the work done at Dundalk Institute of Technology, DKIT. Its regional development centre has looked at everything from climate change to medical technology. It has put people together and facilitated a million and one start-up companies - that is probably not the exact figure - which have provided employment and, beyond that, provided some absolutely innovative goods. I would like to see more of that happening.

Last year, I spoke about my son being in Ó Fiaich Institute of Further Education. I have seen all the benefits of the institute both as a secondary school and in what it offers by way of post-leaving certificate courses and so on. I have spoken before about the constrained site. An application has been submitted for a new regional skills and training centre. That may be necessary to deal with some of the need for space. In addition, I have been involved in discussions with LMETB on introducing pre-apprenticeship courses at Muirhevnamor Community Centre. Your mind varies as to what is most suitable and what will most benefit the community but we need to facilitate those who are outside the reach of education and, sometimes, employment and to make sure the opportunities that are available become available to them. That is something we need to see.

We are also talking about housing. That goes without saying. We have seen some of the moves that have been made. The State needs to do more in the area of modular construction and even in the area of 3D concrete printing. We have great options before us now.

On the downsides, we all know of the issues affecting human beings. We are all looking at the flooding and everything else. At this stage, it is impossible not to accept that drastic things need to be done. In some cases, we need to do what is necessary from a technological point of view, such as delivering on wind energy. Beyond that, we have to look at some of the other major impacts. We are looking at the war in Gaza at the minute. That shows the bad side. We can talk about the Eitan armoured fighting vehicle, the F-35s and the amount of money being put into drone technology, but none of that is beneficial to Gaza. Overall, human beings have great options and great opportunities but we also have to take a serious look at ourselves as regards some of the issues we have created.

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