Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Bill provides for the merger of the existing Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. The two agencies in their current form have similar roles for different arms of research, with the former providing for research based on STEM subjects and the latter aimed at more humanities-based subjects. I see no problem with this as long as the intentions that are promoted by the Department are maintained and carried through and that a path is plotted to ensure parity of esteem between academic disciplines, forms of research and researchers themselves. This general approach is also adopted and catering for PhD students who are so important in research and development.

In the past I worked with a PhD student who wanted to transition from her job into research. The constituent, a single mother, encountered such a lack of support that she had to go without to succeed in pursuing her studies. That was a couple of years ago and now rental costs, including the exclusion of PhD students from the student renters tax credit, are among the challenges they face which will impact on our ability to develop the sector in new ways that we want. Ambitions for research, for development and for an increase in the number of patents developed in this country are impeded by factors such as this. I urge the Minister to address this.

Precarious employment is also affecting the sector’s ability to be all that it can. The Minister will be aware that the Irish Federation of University Teachers pointed out this trend in its report on the matter and how this is driving people out of academia. Employment conditions, housing and rental are all issues that are posing problems across the employment sector. Nursing and the Garda are seeing this. Our Defence Forces have traditionally fallen foul of this. Academia is no different nor is it immune from the same pressure.

These problems are at the core of the obstacles people encounter in trying to progress their lives, to hold down employment, or to work as effectively as possible. As a consequence, the ability to deliver the results we need to become a hub for research and innovation is dependent upon the conditions workers encounter. The Minister needs to continue to push for a whole-of-government approach to this.

I recognise the progress that has been made to develop our third level sector on a regional basis, which is very welcome. However, high housing and rental costs are pervading every region. Coupled with a prevalence of precarious employment, the challenge encountered by students is considerable. The foundations upon which we build our innovative prospects are dependent upon this being addressed.

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