Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Oct 2000

Vol. 164 No. 5

Adjournment Matters. - George Mitchell Scholarship Fund.

Dr. Henry

I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, is replying to this matter because I want to congratulate him on the tremendous work he has done for people involved in science and technology in this country.

The enthusiasm in the scientific community for the huge amounts of money which are now being spent in this area must be known to him. However, I want to put on the record of the House that £550 million is being spent this year on the programme for research in third level institution and £560 million is being spent by the Science Foundation Ireland. Eighty groups, from both this country and outside, have applied to the Science Foundation Ireland for funding, 30 of whom are from my constituency of Trinity College, Dublin.

The matter I have tabled concerns another piece of good news with which the Department and the Government have been involved. The Mitchell scholarship programme is a flagship initiative of the US-Ireland Alliance, a Washington based non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening the ties between the United States and the island of Ireland for future generations. Trina Vargo, Senator Edward Kennedy's Irish administrator for many years, was the brains behind this foundation and she deserves much credit.

The idea was to establish a prestigious, competitive, national scholarship that enables American university graduates pursue a year of study at institutions of higher learning on the island of Ireland. Modelled after the Rhodes scholarships, it was named after Senator George Mitchell, in honour of his contribution to the peace process. The long-term objective is to have future leaders in America who know Ireland and are committed to the relationship. The scholarships are awarded to individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who have showed academic distinction, commitment to service and potential for leadership.

During President Clinton's 1998 visit to Ireland, the Taoiseach announced the Government would provide a £2 million endowment for the establishment of the Mitchell scholarships. The Bill passed the Houses of the Oireachtas with all-party support. In this House, Senator Quinn ensured some of the scholarships could be taken up in Northern Ireland.

Additional funding has been provided by an anonymous donor, the British Government, Bombardier, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Mutual of America, Verner Liipfert Bernard McPherson and Hand and many others. The universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland have waived tuition fees and are providing housing for the scholars. The scholars are given an $11,000 stipend and USIT is providing a travel stipend so the scholars may travel throughout the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe.

In this the first year's competition, 12 impressive young Americans were selected from more than 250 applicants in a nationwide competition. At least one student is attending each of Ireland's seven universities and Northern Ireland's two universities. To ensure these scholars enjoy their time in Ireland the Minister, Deputy de Valera, has provided Dúchas passes so the scholars may visit historic sites during their stay, the National Trust is providing them with similar opportunities in the North, the Royal Irish Academy is providing use of its facilities and the Abbey Theatre is providing theatre tickets. I am sure many others will come forward to help ensure that these scholars enjoy their stay here. Many Members of the Oireachtas have promised to give them meals in the House and, since there are so many of them, they will be delighted to get invitations from others as well.

They are incredibly impressive people and will make a big difference in the universities to which they have been affiliated. Edward Augenblick from Colorado, a graduate of Georgetown University, has gone to the department of mathematics at University College Dublin. Rebecca Blustein, from Piedmont, California, is enrolled for an MA in medieval Irish history at Maynooth. Erin Breeze from Nederland, Colorado, is enrolled at the University of Limerick doing peace and development studies. Traci Donovan from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is at University College Galway and will be working for the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Mikela French is from Idaho Falls and Boise State University in Idaho and is a science graduate but over here she is in the Queen's University Irish studies programme. Desha Girod of Wayne, Pennsylvania, is doing peace studies at the School of Ecumenics.

It is interesting to note that it is not just people with Irish names and Irish connections who wish to come here. Winifred Li from La Brea, California, is in University College Cork studying English and is particularly involved in Celtic literature. Gabriel Paquette from Brooklyn, New York, is in the MA programme in culture and colonialism at University College Galway. Rachel Rebouche from Bossier City, Louisiana, is in Queen's University in the department of legal studies. Rebecca Reichert from Crystal Lake, Illinois, is doing a degree in biomedical sciences at the University of Ulster. Laela Sturdy from Cooper City, Florida, has a degree in biochemistry and is in the M.Sc. programme in multimedia systems at Trinity College. Thomas Vitolo is a mathematician from North Carolina. He has a degree in economics and computer science and is now in the financial and industrial mathematics programme at Dublin City University.

To have people of such high calibre joining these programmes means that not only they but the other students in the departments to which they have become affiliated will benefit. My reason for putting down this motion is that the Department is supposed to produce a report on the fund every year. Sadly, too many reports do not come before the Houses of the Oireachtas because there is so much other work before them. I would not like it thought that there is a lack of interest in this programme and that is why I have asked the Minister to give the first report tonight. Again, I congratulate the Minister on the science fund.

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Mr. Treacy)

I thank Senator Henry for her warm and gracious remarks pertaining to the investment we are making in science and research. Our national development plan, which is costed at in excess of £40 billion, includes a figure of almost £2 billion for research, technological development and innovation. The Senator has outlined how we propose to spend that funding and how we have commenced spending it. She has been a great champion of research and science in this country and has been of great assistance to me, in my capacity as Minister of State, over the last three years.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to address Seanad Éireann on the operation of the George Mitchell scholarship fund. The Senator is no doubt aware of the Taoiseach's announcement, on 4 September 1998, during the visit of President Clinton to Ireland that the Government would contribute an endowment of £2 million to a new scholarship scheme to enable highly qualified American students to attend certain third level institutions in Ireland. The British Government has made an endowment towards the funding of two scholars and endowments have also been made by a number of private individuals, as was outlined to the House by Senator Henry.

The scheme is known as the George Mitchell scholarship scheme in recognition of Senator Mitchell's contribution to building lasting peace in Northern Ireland. I was deeply honoured in autumn 1998 to inaugurate the scholarship in the United States, on behalf of the Government, with Senator Mitchell in the presence of many of his colleagues and friends from politics, business, law, science, the education and academic sectors and particularly from Irish America. Tonight, on behalf of all Irish people, I sincerely thank Senator Mitchell for his unique and wonderful contribution to facilitating a meeting of minds to ensure mutual understanding on the island of Ireland and to ensure that we work together to sustain lasting peace. We hope we will not let Senator Mitchell down and that we will be able to build on that peace in the years ahead. I am confident wise counsel will prevail and positive attitudes will be the order of the day during the serious discussions taking place in Northern Ireland over the next week.

The scholarships are intended to be a highly prestigious award which will attract the best students in American universities. I agree with Senator Henry that there was huge interest across America in the scholarships. It will be similar to the Rhodes scholarships which bring American students, including President Clinton in his time, to Oxford University. Each scholar will follow a course of study in an Irish university or institute of technology and, in addition to their tuition, fees and accommodation expenses, each student will receive a stipend of $11,000.

In order to contribute its endowment, the Government was required to bring forward legislation. The George Mitchell Scholarship Fund Act, which was signed into law on 23 December 1998, empowers the Minister for Education and Science to establish the new fund in the United States, to enter into agreement with persons who will manage and control the new fund and to pay into the fund the sum of £2 million. I will take this opportunity to outline the position in relation to institutions which George Mitchell scholars may attend. Scholars under the new scheme may attend an Irish university, any institute of technology, the Irish School of Ecumenics or, in Northern Ireland, a university or other institution of higher education which the Minister specifies provided that institution and any other relevant authority consents to the presence of the students.

It may be of interest to the House to know that the fund is now managed and controlled in the United States by US-Ireland Alliance. Based in Washington DC, US-Ireland Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit making organisation composed of members from both the USA and Ireland which is aimed at consolidating existing relations between the USA and Ireland, North and South, and building that relationship for the future. US-Ireland Alliance carries out is functions in accordance with an agreement entered into with the Minister for Education and Science under the 1998 Act and executed on 8 March 1999. The agreement covers such matters as the control and management of the new fund, criteria as to the academic standard necessary to receive a scholarship and disbursements managed from the fund.

Selection of scholars is approved by a selection committee based on recommendations made to it by US-Ireland Alliance. The income from Ireland's endowment will meet the administration costs involved in the nationwide campaign in the USA for these awards in addition to funding two scholarships. The first Mitchell scholars are currently beginning their studies.

The Minister is required under the terms of the 1998 Act to prepare an annual report on the operation of the fund and a copy of the report, the audited accounts and a copy of any auditor's report must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Department of Education and Science is currently in the process of preparing this report and has recently requested the US-Ireland Alliance to provide details of the operation and administrative budget for the programme as well as information on the successful scholars, their courses of study, the institutions they will be attending and their benefactors. As soon as these details are available, the first report will be laid before the Oireachtas in accordance with the law.

I thank Senator Henry for her warm words and for bringing this important motion before the House. It is appropriate that we discuss it now. We wish everybody involved in Northern Ireland affairs every success, particularly over the next weeks, months and years ahead.