Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming in and giving us this good news today. I am delighted to be able to talk about Ireland's application to CERN and why we should apply. First, membership of CERN will provide an opportunity for Irish scientists and engineers, the people who are listening to us today, to join a world-class research community and collaborate with international resources and researchers. The collaboration will allow Irish scientists to participate in ground-breaking research projects and develop new skills, new technologies and most important, knowledge. This in turn will have a far-reaching effect and benefit for Ireland's scientific community, providing them with access to cutting-edge facilities and global networks of researchers to learn from and to share with.

Second, the high-tech industry is one of the key drivers of the Irish economy. We laud it and are world-renowned for it. Joining CERN would benefit the Irish industry significantly. Ireland could invest in CERN's cutting-edge technologies. We could acquire valuable knowledge and expertise and use this knowledge to create more high-tech jobs in Ireland. This move would also attract international companies. It would give them another reason to come here as they would seek to benefit from expertise in particle physics and technological innovation.

Third, CERN has a very strong record of transferring knowledge and technology that can be applied to industry, medicine and other fields. Accidental discoveries in physics have also led to the development of technologies such as the World Wide Web, MRI scanners and PET scanners.