Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too am delighted to speak briefly on the statements on Science Week. I wish all of the daoine óga and daltaí go léir well in the colleges and schools on Science Week. My memories of science week were in St. Joseph's College in Cahir. The college was set up by two men, Mr. Tom McGrath and Mr. Vincent Russell, who cycled to Cahir, Cathair an Iascaigh, who bought a building and set up a school when there was no educational facility there. They recruited an excellent science teacher, who went to his eternal reward during the summer, Mr. Gerard Grufferty. He had a Bunsen burner and maybe a few bits and bobs in his pocket of the brown coat. I can still seem him in the brown coat. He did his best. He was an excellent science and maths teacher. He did so much to try to instil through us. They did not have the funding as they were not part of the VEC structures. He did Trojan work. Any science I learned was from the experiments with the late Gerard Grufferty. I pay tribute to him. He also ran that school when his two colleagues had retired. He was a fixer as well as everything else. He looked after the students' welfare, he looked after keeping the lights on, he looked after keeping the stairs standing and whatever else in an old decrepit building. Very many people came out of that educational institution. It was a pleasure. To his wife and family I want to say how sorry I am and I express my sympathies to them on his passing. He was an excellent man.

More generally on science, we are bombarded with science and especially with Covid. We had Dr. Holohan who told me that they do not do the science, that they deal with the lockdowns and will do the science later. We now have climate change experts who are frightening everybody. Science is being manipulated somewhat. Anyone who questions it is seen as a Neanderthal or the kind of person who is a conspiracy theorist. That is not a good place for us to go as a country. The questions must be encouraged and questions must be asked. Our scientists must be asked those questions and explain. It is fine to have the knowledge and imparting it is very important, but we must never be afraid to ask the hard questions.

I acknowledge the firefighters in the Public Gallery. I thank them for their help during Science Week and for their help in every aspect of life in our communities in the context of life saving and looking after us.

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