Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is still time left for other counties to catch up.

When we look to the future, it is important to look at our research past as well. Ireland has for many years played its part in advancing the breadth of human knowledge in creating new technologies that have had an international impact. One notable person is Ellen Hutchins of Cork, who was Ireland’s first female botanist. Her name is still carried by so many of the plants that she studied. Another of those innovators was Father Nicholas Callan, a professor of natural philosophy in Maynooth College from 1834 to 1864.He was a pioneer in the development of electrical science, and invented the induction coil, which was instrumental in the development of the modern transformer. We think this priest in Maynooth in the 1800s probably had the first electrically propelled vehicle in the world. He even proposed electricity as a means of propulsion for the then newly invented railways. It was another Irishman, James Drumm, who devised the system of battery-powered trains on Dublin's railways a hundred years ago. We are all familiar with John Tyndall, one of our most successful scientists and educators, after whom the Tyndall National Institute is named. I am happy to say that we continue to support the Tyndall National Institute, named in his honour. For 40 years it has played a key role in securing Ireland's international prominence in the ICT industry, particularly in the chip and semiconductor sector.

I want to note some of the initiatives we have put in place to support science and research. Covid-19 gave us a real opportunity and a requirement to reach out to the community and ask what we can do to help. Throughout 2020, the Covid-19 rapid response research and innovation funding programme invested approximately €18 million in 83 projects. This has seen very high levels of collaboration throughout the country and our institutions. They have been looking at incredible things, including how to detect current or previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 and how to study the immune responses in different Covid-19 patient cohorts. These provided key information for the design of more effective vaccines that can confer long-term protection, as well as therapeutics that control inflammation. We all know the challenge of outbreaks of meat plants in Ireland. Research on the latter was also funded through this initiative.

I want to bring Senators up to date on a few matters. Last night, I announced my intention to decouple the roles of chief scientific adviser and director general of Science Foundation Ireland. This is essential and overdue. It needs to happen. I briefed the Government on it this week. The current arrangements were put in place in a particular context nearly a decade ago. A lot has changed since then domestically and internationally. I decided to conduct a review of the structures and not to continue the arrangement whereby the director general of Science Foundation Ireland also acts as chief scientific adviser from the new year. In early 2022, we will consult on what an appropriate structure looks like. The idea that one person can provide scientific advice on everything does not understand what science is and the range of disciplines it covers. Perhaps it will be a structure whereby we bring together many scientists from many disciplines, one of whom could act as the chief scientific adviser. I will not pre-empt the outcome of the process.

I also want to the inform the House on my views on the Science Gallery. This has been a particular issue in our capital city but not just there. We need more science galleries and not fewer. I am delighted to be working with the provost of Trinity and I thank her for her work and leadership. We are considering what a science gallery of the future looks like. We want it to take us ahead in the next decade or so, serving our capital city and our country. The Department is committed to finding a resolution to this matter. I look forward to the debate and engagement this afternoon.