Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I note the publication of a petition last Wednesday by 51 eminent scientists, including Boyle medal winners, arguing that the new strategy for science should reconsider balancing the funding of science to strongly support not only applied or oriented basic research but also basic research across the full range of scientific disciplines. There is a view that knowledge cannot be trapped into the categories that Science Foundation Ireland funds and there should perhaps be some free-range allocation of funds, which might be made possible by dropping projects that have ceased to be of relevance.It is very difficult to predict where the return can be. Let us have some degree of flexibility there.

I compliment Michael Longley, our great poet, on being made a freeman of Belfast last night in the presence of President Higgins and the Lord Mayor, Councillor Nichola Mallon. On the day before the referendum on the future of this House we had poets on every side of the House paying wonderful tributes to Seamus Heaney. So, with our great tradition of poetry, I am sure we welcome the elevation of Michael Longley, CBE, to be a freeman of Belfast.

I express concern at a report in The Irish Timestoday that a senior official in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has written to the UK Competition and Markets Authority asking it to force Ryanair to divest itself of its shares in Aer Lingus. This is a case that is pending before the UK courts. I know many of the officials in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport cannot wait to get Aer Lingus into the possession of British Airways. I wish they would come in here and debate the issue instead of operating behind the scenes.