Dr. Henry:
I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, is replying to
this matter because I want to congratulate him on the tremendous work
he has done for people involved in science and technology in this
country. The enthusiasm in the
scientific community for the huge amounts of money which are now being
spent in this area must be known to him. However, I want to put on the
record of the House that £550 million is being spent this year on the
programme for research in third level institution and £560 million is
being spent by the Science Foundation Ireland. Eighty groups, from
both this country and outside, have applied to the Science Foundation
Ireland for funding, 30 of whom are from my constituency of Trinity
College, Dublin. The matter I have tabled
concerns another piece of good news with which the Department and the
Government have been involved. The Mitchell scholarship programme is a
flagship initiative of the US-Ireland Alliance, a Washington based
non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening the ties between
the United States and the island of Ireland for future generations.
Trina Vargo, Senator Edward Kennedy's Irish administrator for many
years, was the brains behind this foundation and she deserves much
credit. The idea was to establish a
prestigious, competitive, national scholarship that enables American
university graduates pursue a year of study at institutions of higher
learning on the island of Ireland. Modelled after the Rhodes
scholarships, it was named after Senator George Mitchell, in honour of
his contribution to the peace process. The long-term objective is to
have future leaders in America who know Ireland and are committed to
the relationship. The scholarships are awarded to individuals between
the ages of 18 and 30 who have showed academic distinction, commitment
to service and potential for leadership. During President Clinton's
1998 visit to Ireland, the Taoiseach announced the Government would
provide a £2 million endowment for the establishment of the Mitchell
scholarships. The Bill passed the Houses of the Oireachtas with
all-party support. In this House, Senator Quinn ensured some of the
scholarships could be taken up in Northern Ireland. Additional funding has been
provided by an anonymous donor, the British Government, Bombardier,
Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Mutual of America, Verner Liipfert
Bernard McPherson and Hand and many others. The universities in
Ireland and Northern Ireland have waived tuition fees and are
providing housing for the scholars. The scholars are given an $11,000
stipend and USIT Now is providing a travel stipend so the scholars may
travel throughout the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and
Europe. In this the first year's
competition, 12 impressive young Americans were selected from more
than 250 applicants in a nationwide competition. At least one student
is attending each of Ireland's seven universities and Northern
Ireland's two universities. To ensure these scholars enjoy their time
in Ireland the Minister, Deputy de Valera, has provided Dúchas passes
so the scholars may visit historic sites during their stay, the
National Trust is providing them with similar opportunities in the
North, the Royal Irish Academy is providing use of its facilities and
the Abbey Theatre is providing theatre tickets. I am sure many others
will come forward to help ensure that these scholars enjoy their stay
here. Many Members of the Oireachtas have promised to give them meals
in the House and, since there are so many of them, they will be
delighted to get invitations from others as well. They are incredibly
impressive people and will make a big difference in the universities
to which they have been affiliated. Edward Augenblick from Colorado, a
graduate of Georgetown University, has gone to the department of
mathematics at University College Dublin. Rebecca Blustein, from
Piedmont, California, is enrolled for an MA in medieval Irish history
at Maynooth. Erin Breeze from Nederland, Colorado, is enrolled at the
University of Limerick doing peace and development studies. Traci
Donovan from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is at University College Galway
and will be working for the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Mikela
French is from Idaho Falls and Boise State University in Idaho and is
a science graduate but over here she is in the Queen's University
Irish studies programme. Desha Girod of Wayne, Pennsylvania, is doing
peace studies at the School of Ecumenics. It is interesting to note
that it is not just people with Irish names and Irish connections who
wish to come here. Winifred Li from La Brea, California, is in
University College Cork studying English and is particularly involved
in Celtic literature. Gabriel Paquette from Brooklyn, New York, is in
the MA programme in culture and colonialism at University College
Galway. Rachel Rebouche from Bossier City, Louisiana, is in Queen's
University in the department of legal studies. Rebecca Reichert from
Crystal Lake, Illinois, is doing a degree in biomedical sciences at
the University of Ulster. Laela Sturdy from Cooper City, Florida, has
a degree in biochemistry and is in the M.Sc. programme in multimedia
systems at Trinity College. Thomas Vitolo is a mathematician from
North Carolina. He has a degree in economics and computer science and
is now in the financial and industrial mathematics programme at Dublin
City University. To have people of such high
calibre joining these programmes means that not only they but the
other students in the departments to which they have become affiliated
will benefit. My reason for putting down this motion is that the
Department is supposed to produce a report on the fund every year.
Sadly, too many reports do not come before the Houses of the
Oireachtas because there is so much other work before them. I would
not like it thought that there is a lack of interest in this programme
and that is why I have asked the Minister to give the first report
tonight. Again, I congratulate the Minister on the science fund. Minister of State at the
Department of Education and Science (Mr. Treacy):
I thank Senator Henry for her warm and gracious remarks pertaining to
the investment we are making in science and research. Our national
development plan, which is costed at in excess of £40 billion,
includes a figure of almost £2 billion for research, technological
development and innovation. The Senator has outlined how we propose to
spend that funding and how we have commenced spending it. She has been
a great champion of research and science in this country and has been
of great assistance to me, in my capacity as Minister of State, over
the last three years. I am pleased to have this
opportunity to address Seanad Éireann on the operation of the George
Mitchell scholarship fund. The Senator is no doubt aware of the
Taoiseach's announcement, on 4 September 1998, during the visit of
President Clinton to Ireland that the Government would contribute an
endowment of £2 million to a new scholarship scheme to enable highly
qualified American students to attend certain third level institutions
in Ireland. The British Government has made an endowment towards the
funding of two scholars and endowments have also been made by a number
of private individuals, as was outlined to the House by Senator Henry. The scheme is known as the
George Mitchell scholarship scheme in recognition of Senator
Mitchell's contribution to building lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
I was deeply honoured in autumn 1998 to inaugurate the scholarship in
the United States, on behalf of the Government, with Senator Mitchell
in the presence of many of his colleagues and friends from politics,
business, law, science, the education and academic sectors and
particularly from Irish America. Tonight, on behalf of all Irish
people, I sincerely thank Senator Mitchell for his unique and
wonderful contribution to facilitating a meeting of minds to ensure
mutual understanding on the island of Ireland and to ensure that we
work together to sustain lasting peace. We hope we will not let
Senator Mitchell down and that we will be able to build on that peace
in the years ahead. I am confident wise counsel will prevail and
positive attitudes will be the order of the day during the serious
discussions taking place in Northern Ireland over the next week. The scholarships are
intended to be a highly prestigious award which will attract the best
students in American universities. I agree with Senator Henry that
there was huge interest across America in the scholarships. It will be
similar to the Rhodes scholarships which bring American students,
including President Clinton in his time, to Oxford University. Each
scholar will follow a course of study in an Irish university or
institute of technology and, in addition to their tuition, fees and
accommodation expenses, each student will receive a stipend of
$11,000. In order to contribute its
endowment, the Government was required to bring forward legislation.
The George Mitchell Scholarship Fund Act, which was signed into law on
23 December 1998, empowers the Minister for Education and Science to
establish the new fund in the United States, to enter into agreement
with persons who will manage and control the new fund and to pay into
the fund the sum of £2 million. I will take this opportunity to
outline the position in relation to institutions which George Mitchell
scholars may attend. Scholars under the new scheme may attend an Irish
university, any institute of technology, the Irish School of Ecumenics
or, in Northern Ireland, a university or other institution of higher
education which the Minister specifies provided that institution and
any other relevant authority consents to the presence of the students. It may be of interest to the
House to know that the fund is now managed and controlled in the
United States by US-Ireland Alliance. Based in Washington DC,
US-Ireland Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit making organisation
composed of members from both the USA and Ireland which is aimed at
consolidating existing relations between the USA and Ireland, North
and South, and building that relationship for the future. US-Ireland
Alliance carries out is functions in accordance with an agreement
entered into with the Minister or Education and Science under the 1998
Act and executed on 8 March 1999. The agreement covers such matters as
the control and management of the new fund, criteria as to the
academic standard necessary to receive a scholarship and disbursements
managed from the fund. Selection of scholars is
approved by a selection committee based on recommendations made to it
by US-Ireland Alliance. The income from Ireland's endowment will meet
the administration costs involved in the nationwide campaign in the
USA for these awards in addition to funding two scholarships. The
first Mitchell scholars are currently beginning their studies. The Minister is required
under the terms of the 1998 Act to prepare an annual report on the
operation of the fund and a copy of the report, the audited accounts
and a copy of any auditor's report must be laid before the Houses of
the Oireachtas. The Department of Education and Science is currently
in the process of preparing this report and has recently requested the
US-Ireland Alliance to provide details of the operation and
administrative budget for the programme as well as information on the
successful scholars, their courses of study, the institutions they
will be attending and their benefactors. As soon as these details are
available, the first report will be laid before the Oireachtas in
accordance with the law. I thank Senator Henry for
her warm words and for bringing this important motion before the
House. It is appropriate that we discuss it now. We wish everybody
involved in Northern Ireland affairs every success, particularly over
the next weeks, months and years ahead.
George Mitchell Scholarship Fund
October 25th, 2000