Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020
48. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps he plans to take to improve the interface between the wider research community and the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22385/20]
View answerAs Minister for the newly established Department for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, I believe that a key part of my role is highlight the world leading research and innovation being carried out by our institutions and research community, and to ensure that both Government and my colleagues in the Oireachtas are informed by and engage with the research and the researchers. In recent years the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland has launched a number of initiatives to bring researchers closer to Government.
In July 2018 the Irish Research Council launched its Oireachtas Shadowing Scheme. The scheme sees some of Ireland’s most prominent researchers ‘shadowing’ members of the Oireachtas for the day in Leinster House. The scheme was developed by the Council to bridge the divide between policy-making and research and to ensure that elected representatives are supported to tap into publicly funded research. The scheme pairs a Council funded researcher with a member of the Oireachtas. The scheme is an excellent opportunity for researchers to deepen their understanding of political engagement and the policy-making system and for members of the Oireachtas to engage directly with publicly funded researchers. I would encourage my colleagues in the Oireachtas to contact the Council and take advantage of this opportunity.
Science Foundation Ireland places a particular priority on creating opportunities for the Houses of the Oireachtas staff and members to engage with SFI funded researchers over the past number of years. Many of these engagements have been arranged in close partnership with the Oireachtas and Library Research Services. The Oireachtas LRS is now a formal partner with SFI through the SFI Public Service Fellowship (launched in 2019) which will see academic researchers placed within the Oireachtas LRS (and other Government Departments) teams working side by side with colleagues there on critical areas such as climate change and the economic, social and ethical implications of technological innovation.
There have also been targeted talks by researchers, and science week events. In addition to these examples of engagement, SFI has also brought Oireachtas Committees on site visits to their research centres so that they can see, first hand, the research that is taking place in Ireland which is of relevance to the work of their Committees.
Both SFI and the IRC are creating engagement opportunities through a range of formats, and these engagements are created to expose members and staff of the Oireachtas to the excellent and impactful work research that is being carried out by academics in Ireland and to create opportunities for dialogue and relationship building with that community.
Public and Government outreach by our scientists is more important than ever in the context of COVID-19, and my Department, in consultation with all other relevant Government departments and agencies, will consider how best to further engage publicly funded researchers in the wider context as part of the development of the next national strategy for research and innovation.
