Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It sounds like a very interesting concept that the Deputy has. The SFI Discover programme is genuinely the route where I would suggest citizen science opportunities may exist for community groups. In the Deputy's own county of Cork for example there is a project being funded by SFI Discover called Rebel Yeast. It is an immersive citizen science project where volunteer scientists are exploring local woodlands to discover new wild yeasts, analyse their samples in the laboratory and participate in planning the research. The volunteer scientists will fully engage with the scientific method through practice and with the research and any associated issues before co-signing communication materials for a final public event. I assure the Deputy that there is a mechanism for citizen science to be funded. There is the direct mechanism of SFI and the indirect but really important mechanism of the Creating our Future initiative. There are projects being funded across the country. Rebel Yeast in Cork is an example. There is a competitive annual process that is internationally peer reviewed. I can certainly arrange for SFI to brief the Deputy further on avenues that may be available.

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