Address by Mr. Noel Treacy TD, Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, at the Launch of the Galway Science Festival, Tuesday 26th October 1999 12.00 noon. Ardilaun House Hotel, Taylor’s Hill, Galway.

It gives me particular pleasure to be here today to officially launch the 2nd Galway Science Festival which is taking place during Millennium Science Week.

As a Minister and as a representative of a rural Galway constituency I believe that it is very important that the Science Week activities are at least as strong in the regions as in our capital city. It therefore gave me great joy to see the strength of the celebrations here in the West last year. The regional focus which this Festival gave to events here has proved such a great success that other cities are following Galway’s lead this year, with Cork, Limerick and Waterford; all giving a regional flavour to their Millennium Science Week activities.

I am particularly proud as a Galway man that our city is setting the pace for others to follow. It is showing the way to other cities and towns throughout the country.

I want to congratulate all involved. A vibrant Science Week Ireland in Galway is due in very large measure to a great team effort. Co-operation between the Corporation, local businesses, the University, the Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology and the Galway Education Centre, all combine to produce a Science Festival, of which everyone can be justly proud. One indicator of our efforts here, is the fact that in 1999, our Festival is a regional winner in the AIB, Better Ireland Awards.

Well done to all for that achievement. Well done especially to the Festival Committee now chaired by Professor Jim Browne. who is setting an example for other scientists and engineers.

Not only is he a most active member of the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation furthering science and technology at a national policy level and of the Committee that administers our Department’s in-company R&D scheme but he is also showing the way in communicating the good news about science and technology to his local community here in Galway. A special thanks is due to the many companies and organisations that support and sponsor this Festival. The quality of the brochure for this years activities is a testament of the value of their efforts.

A main role for Science Week Ireland and the Galway Festival is to bring the enthusiasm of science to families – to young people and their parents. The main events organised in Galway between October 31st and November 7th will demonstrate the enthusiasm and adventure of Science to all who attend.

The exhibition at Leisureland – the culmination of the celebrations on the 7th November should not be missed. I am particularly delighted to see the strong representation of personalities from the world of the broadcast media contributing to this Festival.

It is a good time to be Irish. There is a great sense of excitement and energy in the Ireland of Today. We are reaching new heights at home and abroad. Not just in the economic area but in all sorts of fields. Our success in sport and music receive special recognition and publicity. Our scientists and our technological innovators however, whether they work in industry or in academic research, don’t receive as much attention. Yet our scientists and engineers are demonstrating their abilities in research, technology and innovation and can be equally proud of their achievements.

It is only fitting that we have a special week every year when the importance and value of science and technology are celebrated countrywide. It is most appropriate that this is happening in 1999 and that Science Week Ireland is recognised as a Millennium event. It is vitally important that the excitement and energy of the scientific and technological community is communicated to our young people. Interest in Science, Technology and Mathematics essentially develops in the early school years and events such as the Galway Science Festival have a very important role to play. They can stimulate the excitement of science in our young people so they are enthused with it and go on to study it more deeply and follow careers in this area. They can also raise the awareness in young people and their parents of the exciting career opportunities in areas such as electronics and software.

It is a matter of concern to me that there is some difficulty in attracting sufficient students into science and technology courses. Studies carried out on behalf of the Science Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme show that there are misunderstandings among the public about the entry requirements for many science and technology related courses. Many young people and their parents believe that a higher number of points are required for entry to third level science and technology courses than that of other third level courses. The evidence, however, is that entry points for physics and science in the National University of Ireland Galway were lower than those for arts and commerce, for example.

We need to redress this misconception if we are to ensure that our young people become educated and skilled in the disciplines most relevant to their future careers and to the needs of our many existing and future industries.

The chief rationale for the Science, Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme, which is managed by Forfas on behalf of our Office of Science & Technology, is that by increasing awareness of the importance and relevance of Science and Technology we will, as a nation also increase our scientific and technological literacy and this will allow Ireland to be ready to exploit future challenges.

The theme of the Programme is “Science for a successful Ireland ” and its three messages are that Science, Technology and Innovation develop:

• Creativity in our children.
• Exciting career options, and
• Leading edge industry and skilled jobs. It is aimed at four main target audiences:
• Young people and their educators,
• The general public
• The business sector, and
• Decision makers in both the public and private sectors.

Science Week Ireland is a flagship event for the Science, Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme and as I have said already I am glad that this year Cork, Limerick and Waterford are following on from Galway’s lead last year by organising regional events.

The timing of these regional Events is very important in the context of the finalisation of the National Development Plan 2000 – 2006, which places great importance on the roles of the regions in our economic development.

In this regard, I am pleased to say as Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, that the Government places great importance to on the role of Science and Technology in the Economic Development of the Regions and of the Country as a whole.

Accordingly, Research, Technology and Innovation will be an important component of the National Development Plan over the next seven years.

One area in the Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Measures, which will be eligible for funding, will be that of collaboration between the third level and Industry, and I am very pleased that events such as the Galway Science Festival are leading the way in this regard, with involvement of all of players in the S&T Community.

Against this important background, it is with great pride that I formally launch the Galway Science Festival 1999.