Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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2513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to support more women into STEM. [19358/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future contains commitments to advance education, training and maintenance of new digital skills and capacities, and particularly STEM subjects, with a special focus on girls (universal access to coding, maths and ICT classes), through training and lifelong learning; to prioritise diversity and inclusion in STEM, and to encourage greater STEM uptake in further and higher education.

There are a number of policy initiatives underway, including:

• Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027
• STEM Education Policy Statement 2017­- 2026
• Technology 2022 Ireland’s Third ICT Action Plan
• Springboard+ and the Human Capital Initiative
• Action Plan for Apprenticeship
• SOLAS Skills to Compete and Skills to Advance Initiatives and
• Skillnet Ireland Programmes.

Pillar Four of the Impact 2030 Strategy affirms that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in our national research and innovation system leads to improved research outcomes that are more reflective of the world in which we live and make effective use of all of our talent, and commits to improving the system's EDI performance, having regard to both researchers and research activity, and to providing opportunities for all. Promoting gender balance is a significant part of this work.

A core objective Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland is 'to advance the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion with regard to opportunities to undertake research and innovation and in the undertaking of that research and innovation', and the agency's External Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2023-2028 commits to building equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the Irish research and innovation sector. Increasing the number of women and members of historically underserved communities in applicant teams are key objectives.

The agency also promotes and supports STEM education and engagement, working to improve awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and, in particular, to the growth of the economy, operating a range of programmes and activities which create opportunities for the public to engage with STEM, to raise awareness of STEM, and to encourage growth in full participation across the whole of society.