John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will deal with the cost. Some previous reports had indicated greater savings based on the accession calculation for 2017. However, this was not based on the gross domestic product, GDP, nor net national income, NNI, which is the figure on which ESO calculates member states' rates. While Ireland's GDP increased significantly in 2015, the NNI did not reflect the same dramatic increase. We have been very lucky in a sense in that we have been able to negotiate a good deal up to 2028, which is a reasonable deal compared to other states. Some 15 member states have joined ESO for good reason. We had come under immense pressure, and rightly so, from people such as the Deputy and others who are very interested in research and development and have a great knowledge of it that we should join these organisations.

Ireland will have two seats on the ESO Council - one will be taken by an astronomer and the other by a Government representative. We will also have a representative on the financial committee, which is important, and on the science and technology committee. We will also have an industrial liaison officer. The nomination process for these posts is under way.

The Deputy asked about the industrial return, which is measured through the ratio of expenditure in each member state and the percentage contribution to the budget spent on certain categories of contracts. Big consortia, such as IBM, InnaLabs, SensL, NASA, SGroup, Openet, ESA and Technology Ireland, have been advocating that we join. We are one of the few countries in western Europe which is not a member of ESO and we are missing out in many ways in disciplines such as astronomy. Let me remind members that Ireland has a great history in astronomy. At one stage, we had the biggest telescope in the world, located in Birr Castle. There is an interesting statistic that, as a percentage of the population, there are more members of Astronomy Ireland than there are of other such organisations in any other country in the world. If one looks at the telescope we opened, the I-LOFAR telescope in Birr, which is one of the biggest telescopes in the world, Ireland was chosen because of our astronomers and the knowledge of astronomy. We will be able to compete for business. Given the expertise of this community, it is well positioned to avail of opportunities provided by ESO membership. We will also be able to bid for contracts. Remember it will take ten years to build the telescopes and that will give an opportunity to some of our top researchers, universities and companies already dealing with the European Space Agency to win contracts. That is a good win for Ireland.