Address by Mr. Noel Treacy T.D. Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the announcement of The Programme For Galway Science and Technology Festival

at Boston Scientific, Ballybrit, Galway On Monday November 19^th 2001 at 5:00pm

It is a great pleasure to be here again today to announce details of the fourth consecutive Galway City and County Science and Technology Festival.

Over the past three years, the Galway Science and Technology Festival has established itself as one of the most innovative and successful events in the Galway calendar of festivals. The 2001 Festival takes place from the 3rd to 9th December next, with a varied and exciting programme. I believe that this Science Festival has a very important role to play in raising public appreciation of the growing impact of science and technology in all aspects of modern life and I would like to take this opportunity to invite you all of you to participate in it, during Science Festival Week

National Science Week Ireland is just over. A week in which we all celebrate science in a fun and enjoyable way. I believe we should celebrate science more. We should be as proud of our achievements in science and technology as we are of our traditions in other areas such as the arts, literature or music. Science is an important part of our culture also. We should reach the stage where we don't have to remind ourselves of the long and honourable tradition that we have in matters technical.

How many of us can recall the names of internationally famous Irish scientists or engineers. Who speaks about George Johnstone Stoney who worked at the observatory at Birr and was a professor in Queens College, now University College, Galway. He was responsible for introducing the term “electron”. Or who celebrates the work of Charles Parson, the inventor of the steam turbine. It was first used in ships but later developed to generate electricity. Both of these men were alive in the early nineteen hundreds but we hear very little about them. We don't celebrate our famous scientists enough.

Events such as Science Week and the Galway City and County Science and Technology Festival, which we are announcing here today, provide an opportunity for scientists and technologists, whether employed in the academic, public sector or business world, to share the excitement of their work with the public. It also gives the public, and especially our young people an opportunity to celebrate our scientists and learn more about the scientific world.

The theme of the National Science Awareness Programme is “Science for a Successful Ireland”. It is no harm at all in the current climate, to remind ourselves of that. We are successful by any standards. The Awareness Programme has three messages. They are that science develops:

• creativity in our children
• exciting career options and
• leading edge industry and skilled jobs

I am very proud that the Galway Science and Technology Festival plays an important part in carrying these messages to the families and young people of both Galway and the western region.

Our theme this year is Science and Sport, which is particularly relevant given that we are the All-Ireland Football Champions. In addition, St Mary's Athenry are the current holders of the All Ireland Club Hurling Championship, whilst my own club, Pearses are the All Ireland Club Camogie Champions for the second year in a row. When people think of science or technology they often tend to think of chemicals and pharmaceuticals or of electronics or computer software or indeed of medical devices. They don't necessarily associate science with sport. Science in sport is less well recognised just like our famous scientists.

However, it is clear that science is as applicable in sports as in many other areas. One only has to look at the topics discussed in sports/scientific journals. Topics included in recent years are genes and training performance, sports science for kids, and fluid and carbohydrate intake in team games. And of course Galway has been very active in the area of sport/science also. Researchers at the university have been looking at new materials for hurling sticks. While their early attempts require further work, I am confident they will overcome any problems. At this point, I would like to acknowledge the presence of Seán Óg De Paor and Gary Fahy key players on the current football team, along with Enda Colleran, Captain, of the Three in a row team from the 1960s.

Of course, our science festival could not be held without sponsors. It is most appropriate that this announcement is taking place in Boston Scientific's premises, our largest sponsor. On all your behalf, I would like to say a big thank you to Mr Tom McCabe, Managing Director whose continued generosity has made this festival possible. They are long-term supporters of science in Galway. In thanking them for their continued support of this Festival, I would also like congratulate them on the recent announcement that they are to substantially expand their R&D facility, with the support of IDA Ireland. The Galway facility here is to develop the technology and capability to produce the next generation of Boston Scientific Corporation's products – its first ever drug coated cardiovascular stent.

This will establish the Galway development group as a key resource within the Boston Scientific Corporation for the development of drug coated technologies and position it as an integral part of the Corporation's new product development efforts.

I mentioned earlier that science helps develop leading edge industry and skilled jobs, which is one of the messages of the Science, Technology and Innovation Programme. I want to congratulate Galway in this regard. The strong cooperation between our university and the Institute of Technology with industrialists in this area certainly helps to develop leading industry and skilled jobs here in Galway and throughout the West. This is true in the case of the medical devices sector and especially so in Boston Scientific's case.

I would also like to mention the other sponsors, without whose help the Festival could not take place. These are:

• Galway City and County Enterprise Board who are represented here by Mr Charles Lynch CEO and Ms Therese Connaire, Deputy CEO.
• Siebel Systems represented by Mr Seamus Kilbane
• Galway Corporation, represented by the Lord Mayor, Alderman Donal Lyons and
• Bus Eireann represented by Mr Jim Wooley, School Transport Officer.

Your assistance through your generous sponsorship is absolutely essential and much appreciated.

I realise, of course, that to organise a Festival of the size that we have here in Galway requires the dedication and many hours of effort by numerous people. I will formally thank many of those who give their valuable time to the effort during the Festival itself.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate our excellent Festival Committee for their hard work and dedication. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Pat Morgan of NUIG, who is our Chairperson, Mr Seamus Kilbane of Siebel Systems, Treasurer and Mr Richie Byrne of the Galway Education Centre, our Secretary. I am confident that your and your colleagues' endeavours will ensure that this year's festival will be an outstanding success. I am sure that you will all join with me in wishing last year's Chairman, Mr Jim Murren, Regional Manager IDA Ireland, a speedy recovery from his recent illness.

The programme of events is available here this evening. As I mentioned earlier there is an interesting and varied range of activities. I would like to draw you attention in particular to the major exhibition, which will take place on Sunday 9^th December in Leisureland, which promises to be an excellent event.

While, the programme has not been 100% finalised yet, I can confirm that John O'Mahony, Manager of our All Ireland Winning team will give a talk on role science played in the team's success. I am also looking forward to meeting Kenny McMillen and Irene Riach from Glasgow Celtic Football Club who will outline the role played by the science of physiology and nutrition in their team's recent success.

In addition, the children will enjoy participating in the activities organised by the Tralee Science Works, the Madlabs from Scotland and the mobile planetarium from the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland.

I am very proud that Galway continues to be at the forefront in celebrating science. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the Galway Science Festival has, in the few years since it started, grown to be the biggest and best in this country. I have no doubt that 2001 will continue that success. It gives me great pleasure to officially announce the Programme for the fourth annual Galway Science and Technology Festival.