That is welcome news. I acknowledge the work done by PhD researcher Michael Mitchell from Trinity College Dublin in pushing this. He is a young Castlebar man who recognises the importance of it. The Minister has met with him, as I have.
In the case of associate membership, the return to Ireland would be capped at the same level as the amount invested. To become a full member, a country must go through an obligatory associate membership phase, prior to full membership, for a minimum of two and a maximum of five years. In this instance, the initial annual membership fee would be at least 25% of the full membership cost and should increase to 100% by the first year. There is no provision in the 2023 budget for CERN membership. The earliest Ireland could join, assuming that the required funding is secured through the Estimates process, would be 2024. Should the Exchequer commitment be confirmed, Ireland can request that CERN send a task force to Ireland to carry out a formal assessment of its sustainability for associate membership. This is the normal process for associate members and the assessment could take up to a year. I am glad to see that progress has been made.