Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

There is a contradiction in what the Minister is saying. On the one hand, he is saying he is open to listening, but his comments in response to questions have been really dismissive of what the entire scientific community is saying. At the heart of this is the fact that scientists are not businesspeople or entrepreneurs. Of course, we hope the outcome of their research will lead to job creation, as it often does.

Why is the Government listening to the chief scientific adviser in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation? There should be an independent scientific adviser to the Government directing in areas of health and education if we are to prioritise societal gain and, ultimately, long-term jobs through it. That is the approach used in Denmark, Germany and Austria, which are ahead of us. This would be better in the long term both in terms of job creation and a societal impact. If the Minister is really saying he is interested in and listening to what the scientists are saying, he should call them in and possibly adapt some of his responses to take account of what they are saying, which is that the long-term benefits would be more preferable in that regard.

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