Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the start today of European science week and the events to celebrate the Euroscience conference here in Dublin. It is a great achievement for the city to host this and there are some very important developments and significant lectures and events taking place this week across the city, some for children, some for adults, with the idea being to involve as many people as possible in the events of European science week. In particular, it is very exciting to see that NASA will announce research links with Ireland at a lecture in Trinity College this week. This is just one of the many exciting announcements and lectures we will see this week. It is a very encouraging time for the development of science and science research in Ireland.

I join with others who yesterday raised concerns about the pilot school in Waterford and the students who have been left in such a difficult and unfortunate position as a result of the suspension of the training programme. There are many questions still to be answered, as several colleagues pointed out yesterday, including how the Irish Aviation Authority let disagreements fester between the Waterford-based college and its Florida-based training provider before it finally intervened, and why the students were left high and dry. I very much welcome the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, that students will be paid their fare home but-----