Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am standing in for Senator Malcolm Byrne, who cannot be here this afternoon and who asked me to convey his apologies. I thank the Minister of State for joining us to discuss this important legislation. All Members recognise that the expansion and development of Ireland's education system in recent decades has been crucial to the country's development and growth. We all share a desire to see that continue.

The new agency, Taighde Éireann, has the potential to ensure we remain on that path. As the Minister of Sate outlined, it will amalgamate the functions and activities of Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. There certainly is logic to bringing the two bodies together and having a single agency responsible for research and for the funding of that research. However, both of those bodies have established strong reputations and brand recognition. It is crucial that the new agency retains that goodwill. Will the Minister of State advise how his Department intends to ensure Taighde Éireann will quickly establish similar brand recognition?

I welcome the enhanced funding provided for in the legislation for arts, humanities and social science research. This is the first time such funding will be put on a statutory footing. It will ensure parity of esteem for the IRC's critical mission of supporting researchers at all career stages and funding research in the arts, humanities and social science in particular. It will significantly enhance opportunities for researchers in those fields, enabling them to lead multidisciplinary teams on projects that would previously have required a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, leader to avail of statutory competitive funding opportunities. That broadening of access for researchers will be welcomed by all. It is an overdue and very positive change.

Significant progress has been made in recent years on the availability of funding for research. That continued in budget 2024 but we still have a way to go. It is essential that we continue to enhance available funding and aim to match the leading countries in Europe, such as Germany, in terms of the percentage of our GDP invested in research and innovation. I hope the new agency will give that goal renewed importance.

As the Minister of State noted, the new agency will develop a national capacity to respond to challenges using integrated approaches from scientific, behavioural, economic and cultural perspectives. That is particularly important because we must ensure that our research base is both comprehensive and flexible enough to be capable of making a significant impact on both the tests and opportunities Ireland will face in the years and decades ahead.In terms of the next steps, there is work such as ongoing consultation, which needs to be concluded before the launch of this new agency. Could the Minister of State advise what sort of timeline his Department has in mind? Is it expected that the agency will be launched sometime later this year, or is it more likely to be in 2025?

To conclude, I welcome the legislation and have no doubt that Taighde Éireann has the potential to be a very positive force in the further enhancement of our research and innovation. I would be grateful if the Minister of State had his officials could advise on issues, such as ensuring the brand goodwill both Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council have developed is not lost. What are the Minister of State’s views on the need to further enhance funding and the general timeline for the launching of the agency? I will leave it at that for now.