James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

Absolutely, because it is an ongoing commitment. We are joining as associate members. I share the aspiration that we would become full members, but the feedback from the physics community that are closest to this is that we are probably not ready yet to go the full way because there is an expectation around the level of activity on projects and researchers and engagement from the nation joining. Our research community tells me that they are at the stage that they are very comfortable and very excited about associate membership, but they may in all honesty not be ready to go with full membership. It is part of the opportunities to grow that community and increase the participation. CERN is a particle physics laboratory at its most fundamental but it is also so many other things: data science, blockchain, sensors, photonics, huge data sets, engineering, including civil engineering, and building the experiment, so there are so many different activities. Even though it is seen as being very abstract, very advanced science, and it is, there are opportunities for everybody from electricians to civil engineers right across the board. Some Irish companies are already collaborating and will be able to be part of that commercial exercise as well as the economic exercise we are in.

As regards the accommodation, I might get the Deputy a note on the student accommodation, but she is right and raises a really good point. There has been a tendency from some of the colleges, which I understand but do not necessarily like, that they like to fill summer beds with visiting tourists. Students are typically not there in the summertime. That makes sense. There should be utilisation of all available assets and capacity should be utilised, but it should not be at the expense of students. One of the things in my standardised design that I brought through is to say that this is for students, and if there is some spare capacity in downtime or outside of term time, by all means, if there is another way for the university to collect revenue, but the design should be towards the students. They will be the ones using them.