Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

7 o’clock

The aim of Science Week is to celebrate the science in our everyday lives and it is fair to say that the presence of science in our everyday lives has been even more apparent in these past 20 months. It would be impossible to comment on Science Week without paying tribute to the scientific minds who have played such a crucial role during this pandemic, from the national and international scientists who developed the vaccines that have saved countless lives to the doctors and nurses who have kept our country and other countries going. Throughout this pandemic we have trusted in the science and in those who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of same. This includes those working in: medicine; nursing; epidemiology; immunology; and virology and the list goes on. Over the last two years the scientific community have become celebrities in their own right and they have given a new meaning to the phrase, "Trust in science." In times of fake news, conspiracy theories and misleading information, I am grateful for scientific experts who have so capably cut through that noise and delivered straightforward and factual scientific information that we can trust in. I want to publicly thank them and offer my appreciation for the work they have done.

The focus of Science Week this year is on Creating Our Future. Companies in my constituency such as Pfizer, Takeda, Grifols and all of the people they employ bring that to life, day in and day out. Science Foundation Ireland is asking the public to have their say on what scientists in Ireland should explore to create a better future. There is a huge opportunity for a national conversation in this. Another focus of Science Week is the gender bias in our healthcare sector. Studies show that women in Ireland are at a disadvantage when it comes to diagnostic treatment. For example, the Endometriosis Association of Ireland tells us that one woman in ten in Ireland has endometriosis but it takes nine years on average to receive a diagnosis. It takes two and a half years longer for women to receive a cancer diagnosis compared with men. Women receive diagnoses for metabolic diseases like diabetes on average four and a half years later than men and women are also more likely to be prescribed sedatives rather than painkillers, despite the fact that they suffer more with pain than men do. These inequalities are well-documented and it is important that we use Science Week to highlight these facts.

Another inequality in the scientific community that we often hear about is diversity in the STEM sector or the lack thereof. A 2019 report conducted by the STEM education review group showed a significant drop-off in interest in STEM subjects at leaving certificate level. This lack of uptake was especially prominent among young women. There is plenty of research which highlights the benefits of a diverse workplace in STEM areas and we know that all sectors of business profit from gender diversity in financial gain, performance boost and increased innovation. A McKinsey report, Why diversity matters, shows that gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to financially outperform their counterparts. It is Ireland's ambition to be Europe's STEM leader by 2026 but it should also be our ambition to drastically improve diversity within Ireland's STEM industry by 2026. Too many people think of scientists and imagine men in white lab coats. There is plenty more work to do to ensure Ireland has a diverse and inclusive STEM workforce and there is no evidence that men are more suited to careers in science than women. Unfortunately the stereotypical views of gender still seem to apply among young women, yet the opportunities for young women in science and in all areas of STEM are endless.

We need to do more in secondary schools to teach pupils about the plethora of opportunities in STEM. Project-based learning in this area and education about the many female role models in science that there are would go a long way to encouraging more young women to pursue careers in STEM. We are already making moves to encourage more women into a career in science. Two years ago a national investment of €3.6 million was made to promote STEM in Ireland. Among the 41 projects supported by this fund, a large number were dedicated to encouraging an interest in STEM among girls and women. I want to take this opportunity to commend STEM Women on the work it does to promote STEM among women in Ireland and on the impact it is having on students and graduates when it comes to choosing a career path.

We have a huge amount to thank science and scientific innovation for. We owe a great deal of gratitude to the scientific minds who have steered us through this pandemic. We are not out of the woods yet but I have full faith that by trusting in science we will get there. The theme of this years Science Week is Creating our Future, and after the last 20 months it is doubtless that many of us have science to thank for our futures ahead.

See this speech in context