Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate and the fact that we are having it. I too commend Deputy Denis Naughten, who is the chair of the Oireachtas Friends of Science group, on the work done in this regard. I am happy to also be a member of the group.

As the Minister of State has said, sometimes the focus and the idea of science is people in white coats working in labs or dealing with CERN. I welcome the statement in relation to CERN . The Government should get on with it. It is, however, important to have a far broader interpretation of science and recognition of it. There is huge opportunity but also a requirement on the State in the context of technical professions, engineering, trades and crafts. There is a major skill and a science involved in each of those areas. It is important to appreciate that.

I welcome this year's science week theme of "Human?", with the focus on the future of being human. We hosted the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy, based in Queens University Belfast, when we welcomed them to the audiovisual room in Leinster House earlier this week. The support we have from the scientific community in the area of research is extremely important as we wrestle with policy considerations. It is also important that we are open about and engaged with that.

As I do on an annual basis - and I am sorry to have to do it again - I must make the case for our working scientists, especially medical scientists. They are still waiting for pay parity. The Minister of State will remember that these people went on strike in May 2022. On the back of that, there was an independent assessment of their pay claim. It was agreed that they are deserving. I was certainly aware, as were those working in the sector, that a 7% pay increase to match the work of clinical biochemists was recommended in the Devine report published in January of this year. The Government has not implemented that. I ask that the Government would please implement it if we want scientists. The previous speaker mentioned encouraging women in science. I worked as a medical scientist. It is a predominantly female profession, with the very best of scientists. Our scientists are also in European competition. Medical science student Gavin Buckley won the President's prize this year. He then competed and medalled at European level for his research on CDK12 in breast cancer. This shows the standard and calibre of scientists we are producing. Then when they go and work - in this case largely in our public health sector - they are not supported or treated equally. There is an unfairness in that regard. We must consider what this does to morale, recruitment and retention. It does one thing. I ask the Minister of State to please act on the recommendations in the Devine report and give medical scientists pay parity.

I make special mention in these statements of the importance of science to the work we do as politicians. It is really important that we recognise the importance of science and that we use it in our work in terms of policy. There have been some cases - a number of which received attention - where scientists, some working for State agencies, have come before Oireachtas committees and their views have been dismissed, their work denigrated and they have been badgered. I would say they have been treated entirely inappropriately. I have absolutely no problem with people engaging with the models that are being used, with the detail of it and with the scrutiny of it, but sometimes in this place that is not what happens. If we are to be serious about the policy decisions we have to make then we must engage with our working scientists and with science in an honest and earnest way, and not play politics or play games with it. We can lead by example. We would all benefit if we did that.

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