Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge the exciting new partnership between the BWT Alpine Formula One Team and the Espire Education STEM On Track initiative, which uses motorsport to engage students in STEM. Over 600 students from 45 schools are taking part, building their own racing carts and competing in national finals. It is practical, inclusive and inspiring. It is exactly the kind of experience we should be giving people in the learning environment. On that note, I offer my congratulations to Team Increvex from St. Brigid's College, Loughrea who are Maeve, Jessica, Leoni, and Sharvi. I met them a couple of weeks ago with the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth, Deputy Michael Moynihan. They have just been awarded the Formula 1 innovative thinking award at the STEM Racing World Finals awards ceremony in Singapore. That is an incredible achievement and should be recognised. These four talented young women, their teachers and their community worked extremely hard on this. They have shown not only creativity and skill, but also teamwork, determination and ambition, the qualities that define future engineers, scientists and innovators. Through STEM Racing, formerly known as F1 in Schools, students design and build miniature Formula 1 cars, applying real-world engineering principals such as aerodynamics, drag, friction, etc. Teams like Increvex demonstrate how hands-on learning can spark a lifelong passion for innovation. It is particularly inspiring to see a team of young women leading the way. We know that women remain under-represented in STEM fields in Ireland, but projects like this are helping to change that. They give students confidence, real-world experience and a vision of what is possible. These girls are not just future engineers; they are role models for those coming behind them. It has created a huge buzz in St. Brigid's College and the wider area that such an achievement has been reached. Team Increvex's success shows what happens when opportunity, talent and teamwork come together. They have done the Loughrea area, Galway and Ireland proud on a global level and I have no doubt this is only the start of what is to come for these people. I congratulate Maeve, Jessica, Leoni, and Sharvi and everyone who supported them in the school community. Achievements like this make me proud to say I am a former student of St. Brigid's in Loughrea.