Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I am delighted to be here to speak about this important year for Irish science and, most particularly, the Euroscience Open Forum, ESOF, 2012, which is being held in our capital city this summer. The programme for Dublin City of Science 2012 has been up and running since its launch on 26 January. This is very much an historic year for science in Ireland. We have already seen the science theme to the fore during the St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin. The centrepiece of the year will be the largest science meeting in Europe, the ESOF, which we will be privileged to host from 11 to 15 July in the new convention centre in Dublin.

Preparations for the prestigious ESOF are at a very advanced stage as we seek to showcase Ireland and our scientific prowess to the very best of our ability. As London is preparing to host the summer Olympic Games shortly, Dublin is essentially hosting the European scientific equivalent. ESOF 2012 will place Dublin and Ireland at the centre of world science for a period next month, with lasting positive consequences for Ireland's scientific reputation. It will connect with the people of Dublin and the rest of Ireland via the Science in the City events, in addition to the many initiatives running country-wide as part of the public engagement programme.

The ESOF is a biennial, pan-European meeting, dedicated wholly to scientific research and innovation. It is the largest and most prestigious general science meeting in Europe and it is held in a European city every two years. It was first held in Stockholm in 2004, followed by Munich in 2006, Barcelona in 2008 and Turin in 2010. The ESOF can be described as a multidisciplinary, general science meeting and it aims to showcase the latest advances in science and technology and promote dialogue on their role in society and public policy. It aims to stimulate and provoke public interest, excitement and debate about these subjects.

The ESOF conference is unique in that it is both international and multidisciplinary. It presents breakthroughs in many disciplines as varied as mathematics, music, geography and genetics through a range of formats, including lectures, workshops and lunches. Moreover, the ESOF presents and discusses the frontiers of scientific and technological research in Europe, contributing to the development of a tangible European scientific identity. It also bridges the gap between science and society and stimulates policies to support scientific research.

The ESOF is the brainchild of the Euroscience organisation which was founded in 1997 by members of Europe's research community to provide an open forum for debate on science and technology and research policies in Europe, strengthen the links between science and society and contribute to the creation of an integrated space for science and technology in Europe. It also aims to link research organisations and policies at national and EU levels, strive for a greater role for the European Union in research and influence science and technology policies.

When it was first proposed in 2007 that Ireland should compete to bring the ESOF to Dublin, the motivation was very much to highlight, on the international stage, the benefits and fruits of Ireland's decade-long programme of significant investment in science and research. Beginning in the late 1990s, Ireland began to invest considerable resources in science, technology and innovation as a means of pursuing economic development. In the ensuing decade public investment in research through the Higher Education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland and the other research-funding agencies increased by approximately 14 % per year, which was twice the rate of growth in GDP at the time. In total, some 3,200 new scientific posts have been added to our third level institutions. In the past five years publication rates have almost doubled and the rate of citation of Irish science output, the standard measure of quality, is now above US and European Union average levels. Moreover, business research and development investment has increased in parallel. Figures from IDA Ireland indicate that, last year alone, nearly half of foreign direct investment was in research and development projects, which is most encouraging and promising.

Our research and science infrastructure, in terms of the physical capital and the equipment in our laboratories, in addition to the intellectual capital in our scientists, is a key legacy from the boom years. These investments have created real and enduring value and will now play a central role in our economic recovery. With this in mind, a coalition of public and private groups, including the Government, third level institutions and industry, worked together for six months, beginning in 2007, to prepare a bid to bring the large-scale ESOF event to Dublin for 2012. This bid was subsequently submitted to Euroscience and the good news that Dublin was successful in the face of stiff competition from the competing city of Vienna was received in Strasbourg in autumn 2008. I acknowledge the role of the chief scientific adviser to the Government, Professor Patrick Cunningham, and his diligent team by reason of their important work in the bid phase and all the preparations for this year's significant events.

The main ESOF programme will be held in the convention centre in Dublin and it is hoped will attract in the region of 5,000 scientists, business leaders, senior EU and government officials, international scientific media and science graduates and enthusiasts to our shores to discuss the best of Irish and European science. The programme will cover all of the current major global scientific challenges, including those in the areas of health, food, energy and climate change. It will also cover fundamental issues such as the origin of the universe and human evolution. Traditionally, the Euroscience Open Forum, ESOF, has focused on the natural sciences, that is, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. However, in view of Ireland's rich literary and cultural heritage, it was decided, for this conference, to broaden the remit to include the humanities, arts and social sciences. Indeed, the confluence of science, technology, society and culture will be a pervasive theme over the course of the whole meeting. An exciting list of international keynote speakers will address the conference, including: - and I cite a non-exhaustive list - Jocelyn Bell Burnell, president of the Institute of Physics, United Kingdom; Charles Bolden, a NASA administrator; Peter Doherty, a Nobel prize-winner in immunology, University of Melbourne; James Watson, a Nobel prize-winner in genetics, Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory; and Jules Hoffmann, a Nobel prize-winner in immunology and the research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France. One also will have the opportunity to hear about science from humanitarian and human development perspectives and these viewpoints will be provided by Sir Bob Geldof and former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner, Mary Robinson, respectively. Moreover, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, will give a keynote address on policy day, which will be Friday, 13 July.

The scientific programme for the five-day conference is acknowledged as being among the best ever and one can safely say the Dublin conference is already taking shape to be the best and brightest ESOF to date. Across the five days of the conference, there will be more than 150 science, careers andscience-2-business sessions, with more than 500 speakers, including 27 keynote speakers and, incredibly, five Nobel laureates, many panel discussions, an interactive exhibition, a busy marketplace and a lively social programme. The science-2-business programme promises to be an excellent one and the 14 workshops over the course of four days will be extremely informative and valuable, for all concerned, in terms of highlighting the process of transforming the outputs of publicly-funded research into successful business innovations and outcomes. The programme will enable and facilitate delegates of all backgrounds to obtain knowledge and advice, as well as to make valuable contacts, relevant to whatever stage of the journey from scientific discovery to business formation they currently are on. The marketplace exhibition is another exciting element of the science-2-business programme and it will provide a meeting point for the different elements of the business start-up ecosystem, such as venture capital and a number of advisory services. This marketplace will provide researchers with the opportunity to obtain expert advice and valuable contacts to assist them on their journey. Furthermore, and as part of the marketplace, I have been informed there also will be a "Careers Expo", enabling researchers, of all ages and levels of experience, to meet and engage with leading international employers from the biomedical and engineering sectors. I consider this to be a key element of the programme because ultimately, our greatest economic challenge is to create jobs and ensure we have people who are adequately skilled to take up those jobs.

The benefits to Ireland during and following ESOF are numerous. There will be an immediate economic impact from the approximately 5,000 international visitors who are expected to attend. Fáilte Ireland estimates that each delegate at a business conference contributes approximately €1,500 to the economy. At a strategic level, the event will provide a platform to showcase the best of Irish science and research across all disciplines and reinforce the international image of Ireland as a leading centre of scientific and research excellence. Domestically, it also is intended that the year will leave a positive legacy by serving as a catalyst for enhancing the understanding and appreciation of science, particularly in the eyes of our young people. In addition, to maximise the overall economic impact of hosting the July event, a campaign has been under way to encourage all scientific, academic and professional associations to target the bringing of international conferences in their areas of specialty to Ireland during 2012 and there has been success to date in this regard. ESOF has partnered with 37 conferences that focus the spotlight on Ireland as a scientific hub. There are also several satellite events surrounding the ESOF conference that are intrinsically linked to the forum. These include the Marie Curie Actions Conference, which will attract more than 4,000 Marie Curie fellows to Dublin, the European Union Science Events Association, EUSEA, annual conference of 2012 and the Robert Boyle summer school in Waterford.

Members will be aware that for 2012, Dublin is the self-proclaimed city of science and this ties in nicely with our hosting of the Euroscience Open Forum. The Dublin City of Science 2012 festival will consist of a year-long programme of science celebration that aims to engage the public to create a greater understanding and interest in science. Outside of the ESOF conference, the Dublin City of Science 2012 festival is there to be enjoyed by all and is all about opening people's minds to science. A total of 160 events will take place as part of this festival, as well as the science in the city programme element of the ESOF conference itself, all of which will serve to celebrate and promote the best of Irish and European science. The Dublin City of Science 2012 festival is delivering science in a new way, through arts and cultural activities, and there are interesting events for all audiences, from those with little scientific knowledge to the more science-literate, which encompass all age groups. The festival provides a new opportunity for science engagement with young people and is seeking to spark an interest in those not currently engaged. Festivals are also taking place in Cork, namely, the CuriousCity festival and the Discovery Science Festival and in Galway, where the Galway Science and Technology Festival will take place in the autumn. It is hoped that science and the wonder of discovery will be celebrated nationwide throughout the course of this significant year for science and technology in Ireland. The events running as part of the Dublin City of Science 2012 festival include theatre and dance, tours and trails, street performances, exhibitions, public talks and lectures, all of which will include a core science message. To this end, everyone is being encouraged to find further details on the festival's website, dublinscience2012.ie. A central objective for the aforementioned festival is to raise awareness of science and of the possibilities for careers in science and this year presents a great opportunity to engage with the public on the theme of science.

On the matter of Ireland's science heritage, Ireland has an extremely rich culture of science that goes back as far as the Irish monks who set up monasteries across the European Continent in the Middle Ages. We have an outstanding scientific heritage in which we should take pride and we shouldpass on this positive legacy to our children. It is clear the Irish have a proven aptitude for science and innovation, with Robert Boyle, John Tyndall and Francis Beaufort being just a few of our most famous scientists.

As the Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation, Members will all appreciate that I consider science to be a core part of employment creation and retention. It is through strategic investment, working with Science Foundation Ireland and in close collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, other State agencies and the commercial sector, that Ireland is now perceived internationally as an emergent scientific influencer. Many Members will be aware that our scientific research capabilities have been dramatically enhanced over the past decade and Ireland has leaped up the international rankings in terms of the quality of its research. Ireland is now in the top 20 countries in overall scientific global rankings and is excelling in a range of key disciplines, including immunology, materials science and computer science. Arising from this strengthened research system, we have established a strong base of enterprise in Ireland across a range of key sectors. Nine of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies are located in Ireland and 11 of the top 12 global medical technology companies have a manufacturing base here.

As for the funding of ESOF and the Dublin City of Science 2012 festival, the Government, through my own Department, has provided significant funding to support the initiative. In addition, extensive fundraising has been undertaken and this has resulted in resources being raised from industry and international organisations. Key sponsors and supporters include the European Commission, Robert Bosch Stiftung, IBM, Intel, Janssen, EirGrid, Bord Gáis, the Marine Institute, the Abbott Fund and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, COST, framework, as well as Elsevier, Teagasc and Dublin City Council. Expenditure of €6 million is being supported by revenue from the Exchequer, sponsorship, exhibition rental, registration fees and support from the European Commission. Euroscience Open Forum, ESOF, Dublin City of Science 2012 has received extensive sponsorship from enterprise.

We are fortunate we have been able to count on broad support from all sides from the outset of ESOF Dublin City of Science initiative. We will be counting on that support even more as we ensure the year itself and the central conference will be a significant success for all. The hosting of the ESOF 2012 and the associated designating of Dublin as city of science for this year is a significant achievement and milestone for all of us, whether we are scientists, members of the general public, public representatives, from industry, from academia, from the community and voluntary sectors or from the arts and cultural sphere. There is substantial prestige surrounding Dublin's successful bid to host the renowned ESOF for 2012.

I acknowledge the role of the many stakeholders involved in the process to bring ESOF to Dublin and those who have developed the accompanying Dublin city of science programme which is being rolled out over the course of the year. They include the office of the chief scientific adviser, Forfás, the Dublin city of science local organising committee, the many associated working groups and committees and everyone who has volunteered to make this initiative happen.

I wish all Members an enjoyable and positive experience at the ESOF and Dublin City of Science 2012. I hope they will spread the word about these events as Dublin gets ready to assume the centre stage of European science and register to participate at esof2012.org.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his informative and detailed statement. There are certainly busy times ahead. I call on Senator Averil Power.

Averil Power (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and join with him in welcoming the ESOF that will take place in Dublin this July. As he pointed out, it gives us an opportunity to showcase the best of Irish science and all the exciting developments in it to the international science community. With 5,000 delegates in the Convention Centre, Dublin, it is also a great opportunity to showcase it as a top-class facility which could attract other high-value conferences and tourism to Dublin city. I hope those who attend the ESOF will become ambassadors for the centre and for Dublin afterwards.

The ESOF, along with the Dublin City of Science 2012, has a programme to engage the public. We have seen from examples such as the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin that there are interesting ways of making science accessible and making it easier for people to learn about all the exciting developments in the science community. Accordingly, I welcome the fact there will be so many public events as part of the programme.

I note part of the programme includes a section on entrepreneurship and on forming a company as part of a science-2-business programme. There has been much success in Ireland with multinational and foreign direct investment. However, we need to do more for Irish people with scientific ideas to enable them to become enterprises and convert their ideas into businesses and small companies. This section will be of great value to the Irish scientists taking part in the ESOF.

There has been significant investment in science technology and innovation over the past several years. Considering our current economic strengths and niches it is an area with great potential for employment and growth. It is central to both maintaining existing foreign direct investment and attracting more in the future. While the Tánaiste quipped during the general election that we cannot all work in a laboratory, thankfully many do and I hope many more will. As the Minister of State stated, we are excelling in niche areas such as immunology and pharmaceuticals and can still be world leaders in them. The previous Government prioritised the areas of science and research with investment the whole way up from schools to research laboratories. The PRTLI, programme for research in third-level institutions, was also established and through its five cycles approximately €900 million has been made available for research. We have seen successes from that with Ireland in the top 20 countries in the overall scientific global rankings and that nine of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies are based here. This shows this investment has paid off. In the current circumstances with resources so tight, it is important we are investing in the right areas and there is a direct pay-off with jobs. The Minister of State will have support from his side of the House when making arguments for budget funding in this area.

From previous engagements, I know the Minister of State is amenable to listening to some of the Opposition's proposals. We need to improve integrating science with students' other interests, particularly at second level. For example, sports science could be made part of the second level curriculum. With the current interest in this summer's Olympic Games, such a programme could get kids thinking about sports science and deal with the practicality of a training programme for, say, the boxer, Katie Taylor, rather than heavy theory from textbooks. University first-year science and technology programmes should be more generic. The concern has been raised at conferences organised by the Higher Education Authority, HEA, that some university courses are too specific in their first year. We should consider making science a general degree while medicine, pharmacy and psychology become graduate programmes as they are elsewhere. This would address the issues we have with high points for entry into medicine. The Minister will be aware of the criticisms made about the health professions admission test, HPAT- Ireland, which was an attempt to put in place a better entry system but it seems to have added extra burdens to students. There is also the issue of an inequality being introduced through the test because private courses to pass the test can be purchased. We need to examine greater interaction at third level between the humanities and the sciences. Some colleges have been good at opening up the idea of a broad curriculum. They get students in different areas to do modules in languages or a little science or, if one is in science, a little business. From giving science students an element of entrepreneurship and giving humanities students a basic understanding of science, it would be good to have more cross-disciplinary options as well. If one thinks of it, Leonardo da Vinci was not only a scientific genius, he was also a great artist. There is much complementarity, and yet, increasingly, and with more specialised courses, we are separating the humanities and the sciences, and that is something that should be looked at.

On a criticism which I offer constructively, I am genuinely concerned about how the Government can expect more students to study science at graduate level when all the postgraduate grants have been abolished. It is creating problems right across the system. Many postgraduate students are only becoming aware of it. Many who will be looking to apply for postgraduate courses, now that they have finished their undergraduate examinations and are looking at what options will be able open to them in the autumn, are realising that they cannot afford it. From a jobs point of view, as well as equity of access, that will cause considerable problems for us. That should be looked at. Perhaps the Minister of State, in his own brief, could consider increasing the level of funding for postgraduate grants to the new Irish Research Council, maybe even in only specific scientific areas.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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Senator Power's time is up.

Averil Power (Fianna Fail)
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Another issue that was looked at previously which needs greater priority is getting more women into science. It is positive that the Euroscience forum specifically has a workshop on that. Unfortunately, women are still highly under-represented, even from the third level stage.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I ask Senator Power to finish up because there are others wanting to speak.

Averil Power (Fianna Fail)
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In science and technology, often the role models are seen as men in white coats, a comic guy from "The Simpsons" or the characters from "Futurama". It still has a masculine image and I ask the Minister of State to look at that.

Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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In deputising for my colleague, Senator Clune, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, and compliment him on the fine job he is doing as Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation. It is appropriate we would have the opportunity in the Seanad to discuss the forthcoming Euroscience Open Forum, which is to be held in Dublin. This forum, as the Minister of State has said, is the highlight of Dublin's year as European City of Science.

I congratulate Professor Patrick Cunningham, the chief scientific adviser to the Government, who was the key person who led the bid to secure Dublin's tenure as city of science for this year. Four years ago, in Strasbourg, the announcement was made and prior to that Professor Cunningham would have led a team to ensure Dublin was successful in edging out Vienna.

As the Minister of State has said, this prestigious event takes place every two years, and Turin, in 2010, and Barcelona, in 2008, were the previous hosts. It is a great honour for Dublin to host this conference. It is not only about the city of Dublin; it is about the island of Ireland. In 2006-2007, as preparations were made for the bid to secure Dublin as the science capital of Europe for this year, the Celtic tiger would have been booming and science and its applications and potential economic value was far from the minds of many. Looking back at how far we have come, we should acknowledge that the Government, at that time advised by Professor Cunningham, certainly was aware of what needed to be done to develop Ireland's capacities in the sciences, to develop Ireland as a smart economy and to promote it as an international hub for activities in science and technology.

This ambition has continued with the present Minister of State with responsibility for research and innovation and it underlines the commitment, as does the continued funding for Science Foundation Ireland, which was established in 2000 to oversee funding to the biotechnology and ICT areas which at that time were identified as the engine of future growth in the world economy.

No doubt the commitment demonstrated by the State towards developing science and excellence in research would certainly have played a strong role in ensuring Dublin was awarded the title of city of science this year. It is an important platform for this country. We are renowned for our artistic and literary heritage and we are now making a name for ourselves in the area of innovation and research. Not alone will this event be important for ourselves in terms of attracting investment in research or facilitating scientific projects, it will also be important in educating and informing the public on the benefits of science and the value that science technology, engineering and maths will continue to play in the future economic development of this country.

There is a dual purpose to this event and I note the remarks of Dr. Gail Cardew, who is the chair of the ESOF supervisory board and vice-president of Euroscience. She said was particularly impressed with Dublin's clear vision in opening the event out to the world and the lengths to which the Dublin committee went to bring international partners, including industry, on board. She was also impressed by the emphasis on maximising communication technology. That appears to be the focus that swung it for Dublin. Professor Cunningham has stated the events of the ESOF and the year of Dublin as city of science would underline a philosophy of ensuring the way in which science serves society is continually identified and promoted. The list of more than 106 events that are being highlighted throughout the year and which range from weather to air quality to solar studies to water quality to the scientific value of music demonstrate how science interacts with our lives every day.

I referred to Science Foundation Ireland, SFI, the body charged with ensuring investment in research teams identifies those who are most likely to generate new knowledge of value in the fields of science and engineering, especially across the areas of biotechnology, information and communications technology, and sustainable and energy efficient technologies. One of the strengths of Science Foundation Ireland is that partnerships between scientists and industry are strongly encouraged and the needs of industry are identified. Scientists and engineers become aware of these needs, and also industry has an insight into what new areas are being developed in our third level institutions. It is important this would continue.

Research and innovation in our third level sectors must focus on developing employment. I was particularly pleased to read the Minister of State's recent announcement of the Science-2-Business programme which is due to take place in the Euroscience forum next month. This also will bring academics and members of the business community together and highlight how publicly funded research, which is the type of research supported by SFI, can be transferred and can develop successful companies. Science Foundation Ireland's figures show a continued increase year on year in the number of collaborations industry has with its researchers. This is important to note as it was never the intention that SFI would support researchers to sit in their laboratories or at their computers and produce information for the sake of it. We must continue to ensure the research that is carried out is made available to and is influenced by industry to ensure maximum return for this economy.

The ESOF meeting next month will be an opportunity to bring together a range of individuals from all over Europe, from scientists to business persons to policy makers to communicators to members of the public, to discuss and focus on science, the humanities, the social sciences and the direction in which these areas are moving. It comes at an exciting time in the world of technology which is developing at a faster pace than many of us can keep up with. There are many positives in the research area that should be highlighted. One last week of which we were informed was the valuable work being done by doctors in Cork who have shown that the level of radiation to which patients with Crohn's disease who have been referred for a CT scan are exposed can be significantly reduced while not losing any diagnostic accuracy. This is just one example of the constant flow of new innovations and new therapies that are being identified from research funding.

I especially welcome the joint announcement by the Minister, Deputy Bruton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, on 8 June outlining the new structures they intend to put in place to make it much easier to commercialise ideas. State-funded research stands at €800 million per annum, which is a significant figure, and we must maximise the return from that investment.

Feargal Quinn (Independent)
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I was delighted to hear the views expressed by the Minister of State. I have a vested interest in this matter because two years ago I received a telephone call from the chief scientific adviser, Professor Cunningham, who asked me to serve on the group which put together the bid. I assumed when he contacted me that he was aware of my great skills in science. I was fortunate to have had a marvellous science teacher, Fr. Michael Casey, when I attended the Dominican College in Newbridge. Just after I left Fr. Casey went on to become a professor of science at NUI Maynooth. He fostered a deep interest in physics, botany, biology and chemistry among those who passed through his hands. It was great to see a teacher who was enthusiastic and interested. We almost got to know the famous Irishmen mentioned by the Minister of State as well as anyone else. In recent years I came to know James Watson and his wife, Elizabeth. They were in touch with me yesterday to say they were coming to our home for dinner next month. James Watson is the man who discovered the double helix of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953 and was awarded the Nobel prize in 1962. We attended his 80th birthday celebrations four years ago. It is a joy to be in the company of a person who is as exciting as him.

The Minister of State left out one of the names of the important people involved. Dara Ó Briain, an Irish comedian who appears on British television, will also be attending because he is a science graduate and a real enthusiast of the subject.

I hope the forum will make more people interested in science by connecting them with the international science community. It is a challenge to interest young people in science subjects. A Dutch study published in 2008 found that highly socialised extrovert students tended to drop science subjects at the earliest opportunity. I presume they steer themselves instead towards more human areas of work such as law, politics and economics. The New Scientist states: "Reintroducing into school curricula the humanity of science – with all its flaws, its tales of outrageous behaviour and even more outrageous characters – would give teens the opportunity to see scientists as role models". We have to bring back the human side of science and I hope the forum contributes to that goal.

I am glad the forum will also include discussions on entrepreneurship and company formation because that is where the jobs will be created. The science to business section includes presentations on how companies and university researchers can benefit from collaboration. Gender also appears to make a difference when it comes to entrepreneurship. There is so much potential for collaboration between business and science. Several years ago Trinity College Dublin developed a new scheme called IdentiGEN, the world's first meat trace back programme, in a joint effort with my company, Superquinn. The company has since won several international deals for DNA tracing systems. We need to see more of these scientific start-up initiatives. Another company that is doing very well stems from University College Cork. It is called Nualight and develops LED lighting. It is taking over several companies in the United States, Holland and elsewhere. These were start-up companies which originated in one man's mind, but they have since become very successful.

In terms of SMEs, we should be looking to the strength of the food industry. I am glad the forum is considering food technology, but we could do more to support innovation and technology in the agrifood sector. For example, the food innovation showcase which takes place in New Zealand welcomes visitors from all over the world to explore that country's leading edge food technology companies and products. It is not only a question of developing good products but also of commercialising, marketing and selling them. The New Zealand Government actively supports the development of new and innovative products that can help the country to become more successful through advantages such as its joined up dairy industry, with specific products for individual markets. It has the ability to access markets more successfully than Ireland. We have to explore growing markets in healthier and more environmentally friendly foods, as well as emerging markets in the food and drink industry because we are in danger of being left behind.

The world's population recently passed the 7 billion mark and is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. Ireland's population growth rate is faster than any other European country. We are well placed to benefit from this population growth in terms of food security. Last year The Economist published a special report on food security which asserted that intensive agriculture along Brazilian lines, alongside extensive use of fertiliser and genetically modified crops, would be necessary evils. Instead of dismissing genetically modified foods out of hand, should we not debate the issue now rather than risk being overtaken? Are some innovations good and others regarded as bad? Are we becoming anti-innovation and anti-science by dismissing genetically modified crops out of hand? The irony is that most of us are happy to be injected with a vaccine that has been produced through biotechnology. It is expected that the influence of Brazil, Russia, India and China on food markets will rise as Europe's declines. Europe's decision to turn its back on genetic modification and the livestock revolution may be understandable, but given the need for higher yields, it is in danger of marginalising itself. I can almost say the same about nuclear power. While I know there has been a major problem with a nuclear power plant in Japan, there are many successful nuclear energy sites throughout the world. Nuclear energy is not a fossil fuel and we should not turn our backs and have nothing to do with it. Most politicians have been afraid to say something about hydraulic fracturing to access gas, but there have been major successes. The one that comes to mind is in North Dakota which has been very successful and yet we are turning our back on these ideas. I am not saying they are right, but we should at least debate these matters. We should at least discuss and investigate the three areas of genetically modified food, nuclear energy and fracking.

I welcome the debate on science and the interest in it. I particularly welcome the Euroscience Open Forum, which I believe will be very successful. We should be very proud of the input into it. Its real aim is to ensure that science becomes of greater interest to young people in Ireland.

Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is good to be here discussing something as bright and exciting as the Euroscience Open Forum. I believe this debate is being held at the suggestion of Senator Quinn for which I thank him. I also thank him for his contribution to getting Dublin to host the event. It will be a wonderful event - the Minister of State has described it as the equivalent of the Olympic Games.

The Euroscience Open Forum was founded in 1974, which is not long ago. It had 42 academies attached to it then and that has increased to 72. We are expecting approximately 5,000 visitors. It is not about those kinds of numbers but about the prestige and profile in science and technology it will give Dublin and Ireland. We need to build that profile because while we have a rich cultural heritage we also need to show we can cut it in the science and technology area. I am glad that while Euroscience Open Forum has always stood for research and technology, it has been expanded to include the humanities and the arts. Our capacity to be creative and see beyond the constraints should allow us in this case to be better at mixing the humanities, arts and science than other countries which might not have the same creative capacity. In that perhaps we can excel both on this occasion and also into the future.

The forum offers the opportunity to demystify and make more attractive the idea of science. As somebody who qualified as a food scientist, much of what was taught as science in school was quite limited. From anecdotal evidence it seems that while some teachers try very hard to make it really interesting, they still struggle with the curriculum. They also struggle with health and safety restrictions preventing children from doing certain experiments. They are desperate to get their hands dirty and desperate, as Deputy Power said, to find a way into the area. However, at the basic fundamental level perhaps only two students get a chance to put something in a bottle and shaking it to see it change colour, while the other 30 sit and watch. That simply will not work and children want to do it for themselves. We know from science museums and other such places that children will rush to participate in an interactive activity. At an open day at my daughter's school, Ursuline College, the teachers had put together a great selection of things for the children coming to view the school to have a go at. They were all really excited and there was a buzz coming into the room, which proves my point.

I pay credit to the incredible work of the Young Scientist Exhibition, which was well ahead of the curve in terms of understanding children's interest in and capacity for science. I sincerely hope the Young Scientist Exhibition is involved in the forum. Even if not, I believe it offers great potential for us to build. Perhaps the Minister of State in conjunction with the Minister for Education and Skills can investigate using that area as a springboard for greater things into the future.

I am delighted to hear of the "science hack" day that will take place during this event. I love the idea of a 36-hour all-day and all-night event - perhaps some politicians might join them - as they try to find solutions to real life problems. I would like to know if the euro crisis will be on the agenda and if the Minister of State is going to be there, we would like an answer. I also love the idea of the author, Brian Greene, teaming up with the composer Philip Glass, in what is described as a futuristic reimagining of the classic Greek myth set in outer space about a boy who challenges the awesome power of a black hole. Here we have exactly that kind of creative and imaginative approach to science. If that approach were taken in schools, the black hole and all that goes with it would no longer be a boring piece of paper but would be an event that children would go home and discuss with their parents. They might even talk about themselves being involved in science.

There is also A Man in Half, the gripping drama of suspense, terror and humour, inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This is the way forward for science. Last year's World Economic Forum report indicated that students here are failing in mathematics, physics and chemistry. However, at a time when we know our children are bright and capable and with an education system which - despite the problems we have - is still pretty good, they are still failing. It is not the children who are failing, but the system is failing the children. As public representatives we go around the schools and see the children's bright shiny faces and see the enthusiasm. We must conclude the system is failing them rather than them failing.

I love that science in this case will be reaching out well beyond its narrow remit with tours, trails, buskers, installations and also things such as the exploration of music and the brain. Yesterday I was involved in the launch of the inaugural Yeats Day in Sligo. However, with our great cultural hats on, we had not thought about science and perhaps next year we could have some food aspect. As a food scientist it did not occur to me, but it has now. We have nine bean rows and hives for honeybees. At the very least I am sure we could find some way. That is where we need to start building the science in, and with our great creativity we can do something.

In third level colleges, the students who make it through the system are reaching out beyond the traditional areas. Some months ago I attended a presentation in Sligo IT. A student there, Anthony Blake, is trying to work out a cost-effective anchoring solution for the offshore energy industry, called a dynamically embedded plate anchor. If Anthony Blake and his colleagues crack this, it will revolutionise how the offshore energy industry works. He is in Sligo trying to work this out for the rest of the world. If he cracks it, it will save enormous amounts of money and will make offshore energy much more cost effective and efficient. John O'Toole is looking for cracks in bones using acoustic emissions. Robert Carroll is looking at the development of first-generation portable system for the analysis of micro-damage in the behaviour in bone. Joe Hynes is working on the engineered restoration techniques for degraded raised bogs. These are the realities of what is going on once children get through second level.

I am involved in discussions over how Sligo IT and the local secondary schools can come together in order to display to children the kind of work they are doing. These students are in their early 20s and have a much better capacity to communicate with our children than those of us who are somewhat older. We need to get those young students to get the students four, five or six years behind them enthusiastic about the potential of the STEM subjects, namely, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and let them know that is where the future lies. As Senator Power has rightly said it would be great to use sport as a way into science and it would be even better if we had great sportspeople to endorse that. We have our own champions in every region. We have them in all the ITs and in the universities. Can we find a way in which we can encourage them to be champions for science and technology locally?

Sean Barrett (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State and thank Senator Susan O'Keeffe for reintroducing W. B. Yeats to this Chamber which he graced for so many years. This is a wonderful project for which the Minister of State will have the support of everyone in the House, as Senators Susan O'Keeffe and Averil Power stated. There is excitement about it. I can inform the House that the Science Gallery which Senator Averil Power mentioned will be a franchise and the first will be located in London; therefore, there might be a TCD Science Gallery in all big cities. I endorse the comments in favour of Professor Patrick Cunningham and his work as the Government's chief scientific adviser.

This year the Trinity Monday discourse was on E. T. S. Walton, still the only Irish Nobel prizewinner in science. It was a wonderful occasion. We found a quote from Rutherford who was his helper in that great project and joint winner. He stated that in times of austerity in the United Kingdom, as they had no money, it was time for ideas. This echoes very much what the Minister of State seeks to accomplish.

Other speakers mentioned linking literature and the arts, in which we have a great track record, with the new developments in science. The division is entirely artificial. The former professor of music at TCD, Mr. Brian Boydell, who composed the wonderful television version of the national anthem which was played each night at the end of transmission before the advent of 24 hour broadcasting, was a geologist first and changed to music. Some jokers in TCD said he changed from rock to the classics.

I gather from very old teachers that in the 1920s we had rural science and nature study programmes in primary schools and that we also had language teaching, which we have moved out to make more room for the revival of Irish and so on. We now know that learning the Irish language from a book for ten or 14 years and never speaking it is not the way to do it and that changing this approach would free up more time. It is a pity we have a less broad curriculum in primary schools. The reintroduction of a science subject should be considered. I welcome Senator Susan O'Keeffe's suggestion that students be the ones to do this. They are young and enthusiastic, whereas the rest of us might seem to be 100 years old to young people when we go into a classroom.

That brings me to an issue on which I know the Minister of State has worked - mathematics. I support his efforts in this regard. Some of the institutions have not been as co-operative as they might be. I do not think the bonus points idea means anything. What we need are people who know a subject to teach it. I wonder whether we should move towards the Finnish model whereby one must have a Masters degree to teach a subject. One thing about the young people mentioned by Senator Susan O'Keeffe and others is that they know very quickly whether one is a real expert who is totally ad idem with the subject or whether a person did a degree in something else and is merely a few pages ahead in the schoolbook. Children aged eight, nine or ten years become clued in quickly.

Surveys show that the most popular teacher is the English teacher, which is probably because this teacher has the atmosphere of teaching O'Casey, Yeats and others. Serious discussions should take place between the Minister of State and the Department on the subjects in which we need a supply of teachers, including mathematics and the sciences. The job of the Department of Education and Skills and the universities is to produce these teachers. If there is not a proper mix between what the students and the Minister of State want and what the students are producing, what used to be called the H. Dip. in Ed. must be questioned.

I welcome private sector and business involvement. With regard to the genetics issue raised by Senator Feargal Quinn, the sugar company in Mallow and other places provided for the initial endowment for Professor George Dawson and the genetics department at TCD. The Moyne Institute located near here is called after the Guinness company. Sometimes the private sector in Ireland is inclined to ask for more subsidies and grants, but let them emulate those who put money in and offer bursaries and fellowships to people to study science, given the difficulties in the public finances.

Many people studying subjects such as genetics would endorse what Senator Feargal Quinn stated. There is a phobia about genetically modified food. Let us have a proper debate on the issue without the stridency. Perhaps the same applies to nuclear power. I asked Professor Holland, the professor of geology at TCD, about fracking and he believes it can be done without the dire environmental consequences its opponents fear. Let us have these rational discussions without the stridency. Perhaps an anti-science mentality epitomised such discussions in the past. The Young Scientist Exhibition is also important.

I will make one plea. We are developing many subjects, but, unfortunately - I say it against my own subject - it was the lack of a knowledge of economics in crucial places that caused the collapse in 2008. Therefore, it is a subject that also needs to be developed. We did not have the expertise when we needed it.