CONFERENCE SPEECH ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Issued : Saturday 17 April, 2010
I believe that to provide a solid and sustainable basis for our economy, we must go back to the building blocks of industry - science and technology.
The government’s focus has been on construction and financial services as our primary sources of tax revenue and employment. We can see the disastrous consequences in our hollowed-out economy collapsing under its own weight.
In the EU 30% of manufacturing turnover is due to new or improved products.
In the US and Japan, with similar industrial costs-bases to Ireland, investment and creative thinking in science and technology have meant that a core of domestic, well-paying, tech-based manufacturing jobs has been maintained despite what has been called “the death of manufacturing”.
If we are serious about being world leaders in the green economy the development of science and technology is essential.
In Ireland, only 10% of students take leaving cert physics or chemistry, with students preferring to opt for “soft” points subjects.
Nearly one third of schools are considering cutting out certain science subjects altogether.
For these reasons, I am calling on the executive board to produce a cohesive strategy for the development of science and technology in Ireland.
We must incentivise students to study at least one science subject throughout the secondary cycle.
This could be achieved through the weighting of the points given for science subjects, similar to the recent re-introduction of bonus points for higher level maths.
We must look at a rebranding of science to increase its uptake by bright students.
We must provide additional support to students who have the ability and desire to pursue third level sci/tech education but who cannot due to financial pressures.
We must review the role of Enterprise Ireland to ensure that the funding is going where it will have the most impact, giving direction and support to campus companies pursuing economically-viable lines of research.
Most importantly, we must ensure that sci/tech education, from primary through postgraduate, contains a strong element of logic and problem solving. This is the most important factor in the successful conversion of sci/tech ideas into solutions to real-world problems.
The government’s solution was to appoint a minister for science and education who talks about “Einstein’s theory of evolution”. Presumably prompting the name-change to the department of education and skills.
To quote the physicist Richard Feynman “the first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool”. While our education system is good, it is not the best in the world, especially when it comes to science, but with a little imagination and direction, it could be.
Delegates, I urge you to support this motion.
Cllr 
