I move:

That Seanad Éireann:

notes that:

- CERN is one of the leading scientific research organisations globally;

- Ireland is one of the few European Countries not in membership;

welcomes:

- the announcement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, that he intends to bring a paper to Government setting out Ireland’s intention to apply for membership;

calls on:

- the Government to proceed with Ireland’s membership of CERN;

- the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to develop, in conjunction with our universities, research agencies and interested parties, a strategy to support our membership and to ensure that Ireland can both contribute to and gain from our membership.