David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The final issue is of something we could be spending money on. It is related to what I asked earlier on with regard to the European Space Agency. The Chairman has raised this in the Dáil with a number of our colleagues, that is, our possible membership of CERN, the European organisation for nuclear research. I think it would cost €1.3 million to become an associate member and I have seen reports which indicate we may get €90 million in benefits back. We are one of the few countries that is not a member. This may have changed recently but I am not aware if it has. Will the Minister of State come back to us with the reason we are not spending the €1.3 million when the research tells us we are to get back to €90 million. Some 22 member states are members. Malta, Luxembourg and Ireland are the only ones, as far as I know, that are not members. I could be corrected on all of that but it is something that, given the considerable benefits the European Space Agency is bringing to us, it perplexes me as to why we are not part of CERN.