Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I thank everyone in the House for the opportunity to have this debate and their contributions. Many of them were quite insightful and thoughtful.

As a former science and maths teacher, I am pleased to see so many people across the country participating in Science Week because it is about making science fun, accessible, interesting and real. I agree with Deputies Eoin Hayes and Paul Gogarty that distrust in science is growing and we need to find ways to deal with this. Science Week is one of the ways we can help manage it. While it is just a piece of the jigsaw, it is an important one because we can assist in that work to support all the fantastic, novel and interesting events that are taking place all over the country this week.

For too many people, for too long, science has been seen as out of reach and maybe something reserved for the clever ones. In truth, however, science is for everyone. Deputy Martin Daly put it in simple terms - science supports every aspect of our lives, from healthcare to the sustainable food we eat, the systems that support our societies and everything, from transport to cybersecurity.

The most important thing that I can say about Science Week is that it is about connecting children and ordinary people, with no scientific background whatsoever, to the science that is all around us. We are lucky in Sligo to have a fabulous science fair at the ATU. It started last Sunday and events are taking place for the entire week. It is organised by the faculty of science at ATU Sligo. For many years, I have attended these events and they are fascinating. They are fun and family friendly. Titles of some of the shows include “The Electrifying Energy Show”, “The Mad Professor”, “Desert Bloom” and “Who Are You Callin’ Airhead?" If those titles do not pique people’s interest, I am not sure what will. There are a lot of interactive exhibits, such as “Science on Stilts” and “Marine Life Discovery”, as well as hands-on challenges in the ATU’s new teaching gym. That is just one day. For the rest of the week, there are a lot of other events taking place.

I am just going to mention one event that is taking place on Friday night in Slish Wood. It is a guided night-time adventure with Northwest Adventure Tours looking at the Leonids meteor shower. For those who do not know what that is - I had to look it up as well - that meteor shower occurs every November but, this year in particular, because the moon is just a thin crescent and the night sky will be very dark, the meteor shower will be seen very clearly. Those interested can go there to see this. It is happening all over the country but if people want it explained, it is happening in Slish Wood on Friday night.

That is not the only interesting thing that is happening, however. Another event that caught my attention is "Juggling Quadratics for Queens" in the Island Theatre in Ballinamore. As a former maths teacher, when I saw the word “quadratic”, I wondered what this was about. In fact, it is teaching. The “queens” part of the title means this event is for young women and girls. It will teach them how to juggle. It is a fun event which combines, believe it or not, the solving of quadratic equations with the skill of juggling. It is an absolutely fascinating and fun event. It sounds complex. Those are the kinds of things that get people, especially young women, interested in STEM. I am really pleased to say that my former school, Mercy College Sligo, where I was a maths teacher for many years, is hosting that event this afternoon. This is about encouraging young women to see that science, engineering, mathematics and technology is for them.

There are many other events taking place, such as those taking place in Ballyshannon Library, the historic town atlases and the other events in many schools. While I have mentioned some of the events in my constituency - we tend to do that here - these are just a tiny number among the vast number of events taking place across the country. I encourage everyone to see what is still happening. Nearly half of the week is left. Just go and see if you are interested.

We are living in a time of huge change. There are real opportunities. For Ireland, this is not just a challenge but a chance to lead. I have heard many Deputies this evening talk about this. Further education and training are at the heart of the transformation we need to make.

Through FET, we are building bridges between education and employment. It is crucial that we are creating flexible routes to allow people to learn, upskill and reskill throughout their lives. Literacy, numeracy and digital skills remain core priorities. FET is not just about that, however. It is also about green skills, advanced technologies and innovation. Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of this vision. They offer a powerful, earn-as-you-learn model, combining real world experience with qualifications that are nationally recognised. Ireland now has over 77 apprenticeship programmes, from traditional roles to cutting edge and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biopharma, robotics and data analysis. These programmes are shaping careers. They are giving learners practical skills and employers the talent they need to thrive. Apprentices are gaining confidence, skills and meaningful employment opportunities. From all the surveys we have done, they are telling us this route is working.

As a Minister of State, I am proud to support and advance an apprenticeship system that is inclusive, responsive and central to our future workforce. The backbone of our innovation economy is STEM. We need more STEM professionals every year to meet demand in sectors like engineering, software and advanced manufacturing. Apprenticeships and FET are critical to closing that gap. They offer alternative routes into high-value roles and help to ensure talent is not lost because not everyone has followed a rigid traditional pathway.

A small bit of kindness and encouragement can make all the difference in the lives of children in building their confidence and self-esteem and in seeing themselves as capable of going after their dreams and realising their potential, whatever that might be. In that context, I encourage parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers and communities to get involved, take an interest and share a conversation with their young people. Then, today and tomorrow is a chance to celebrate the endeavours of yesteryear that have brought us to where we are and to consider what might lie ahead for individuals, families, communities, Ireland and the entire planet.

I thank everyone today for their contributions. I listened to all of them. I have heard many comments about the need for further investment in innovation. While I do not have the exact figures in front of me, I can say there has been a very significant increase in resources for research and innovation in this budget. Yes, we have a way to go. This budget, however, has certainly taken not a small step but a very sizeable in trying to close that gap. I thank Dáil Éireann for hosting and agreeing to have these statements today in the 30th year of science week. The world needs to support science now more than ever. Once again, I thank the Deputies who specifically made that point. I really appreciate it

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