Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
NOW THAT CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has started up again to try unlock more mysteries of the universe it is past the time that Ireland joined the scientific community. Excluding Luxembourg, we are the only western EU country not to be in CERN and are missing out on economic and research opportunities – and, let’s not forget, the chance to be in an organisation that’s leading the way towards a greater understanding of our universe.
Full membership of CERN would cost €12m but associate membership is available for only €1.2m. Obviously, there would be more advantages to full membership but even associate level would allow Irish companies to bid for the €500m worth of contracts that come out of CERN each year. And, to put it simply, if our bailout buddy Greece can afford it then I think we can as well.
And if you’re thinking ‘what have these atom smashing nerds ever done for me?’ maybe you’re right. Maybe you should write a long comment on how it would be a waste of money and would never lead to anything. But, before you do, just know the Tim Berners-Lee created the web at CERN.
Invaluable and inspiring opportunities
With membership, Irish people would be able to work with CERN on some of the most advanced projects in the world. Then they could come back to share their knowledge and experience with others in our universities and companies.
It would be invaluable to bring into Irish lecture halls experiences and stories of working for CERN. They could turn a boring lecture for a hungover student into something genuinely inspiring.
James Casey was born in Northern Ireland so was able to avail of the UK’s membership and go to CERN as a summer student in 1994. He said of the experience:
It was an incredible time of learning. I sat in an office two doors down from Tim Berners-Lee where some of the most innovative people in computing were brainstorming ideas. It was a culture of idea sharing, a culture of discussion, of creation and innovation.There was a feeling that through collaboration there was nothing we couldn’t do. What was once brainstormed over coffee, five years later became ideas on which multi-million dollar internet companies were built. We simultaneously realised that this was completely new, while underestimating just how significant it was.
Growing job opportunities
CERN creates oceans of data, which means a lot of the contracts on offer are in data handling and processing. And this is an area that the government has said it wants to develop.
Ministers for Jobs, Richard Bruton said in 2013: “A key part of the Government’s plan for growth and jobs is identifying areas where we believe Ireland has distinct advantages compared to other countries, and taking steps necessary to ensure that we realise our potential for employment in those areas … Data analytics is one such sector.”
With physics worth around €7bn to the Irish economy annually there are many companies operating here who would see benefits from membership. Perhaps it may encourage other businesses to set up here.
Putting more Irish universities on the map
NUIG was the only Irish university to move up in worldwide rankings last year. Joining CERN and the research opportunities it offers could do something to allow others to claw back a few places.
Minister of State, Sean Sherlock asked the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation last year, “to carry out a review of Ireland’s international engagement on research and innovation, in particular the costs and benefits of membership of international research organisations including CERN.”
This is good but the time for humming and hawing is over. We need to get in now for our economy, our universities and to be a part of something at the forefront of science.
Colm Quinn is a freelance journalist based in Wexford.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
It’s about time. Well done NY!
@Sohoma Roanie: Agree, all private sector workers should follow suit, look at what P & O Ferries did, sacked almost 800 permanent staff and replaced them with cheaper labour. Zero contract hours and the use of agencies has gotten totally out of control.
@Frank Cauldhame: the P&O staff were already in a union though. The new owners simply choose to ignore due process and sack them all without consultation. Seems they have got away with it too
@David Hammond: They are being investigated by The Insolvency Service in the UK and their Directors face being disqualified. Hopefully they will be made an example of Dave.
Massive achievement. Well done all . Unions are vital in the workplace.
@David Beattie: Really – in the public sector workplace. Remember when they wouldn’t budge on the half day off a month to cash non existent cheques. Unions need to pick their battles.
@Jon Boylan: I’m speaking from my experience in retail and as a former shop steward. A union is only as strong as its members and I for one applaud anyone that joins one or is already in one. This is my own opinion whether others agree or not.
@David Beattie: 100% agree.
@Patricia O’Brien: thanks
@David Beattie: ‘Our job is to taste the fresh air, our so called bosses own the clocks that taunt us from the wall but we own the hour’
@Jon Boylan: They’re vital AND need to pick their battles. Both true really.
You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you fight for..
@l: you must have had a pretty 5hit time of it to be that cynical
@l: I would argue not. Who pays the rates and esb in liberty Hall. We have a hugely dysfunctional civil service and public service with no accountability from top to bottom and incremental pay increases in some sectors for people who are clearly not fit to perform their duties never mind a pay rise ( everyone had that teacher) this is all due to unions and herd mentality. Good for amazon maybe good for everyone definitely not
Amazon is one of a number of companies pushing capitalism to its limits and proving that capitalism without clear moral boundaries is an abomination
@Paul Jude Redmond: Absolutely spot on, well said.
That quote from the union worker is quality.
@ChadChaderson: Jeff the spacer,might regret going to his Homeland………..
If they can see it through to an actual union and ignore what ever carrot that will inevitably be hung out to tempt them it could be a watershed moment for employee rights in the US.
@Eddie O’Neill: the cynic in me is half expecting Amazon to just clean house and fire everyone. Sure as he’ll don’t think this is going to be a case of the little guy winning in the US for sure. Amazon and its endless resources and army of lawyers will find a way to crush this
cant understand the logic of these massive companies, dead set on only shareholder returns?surely at some stage the average person wont have disposable income to buy anything, then yer left with only the high income demographic ..who by then will also be in free fall cause their companies are falling due to demand drop offs.? seems illogical. as the old saying goes “pop will eat itself”. as bad as ford was at least he paid his workers enough so that they might be consumers of the cars they were making.
@Mick Heery: Short termism is the issue. It is just like climate change and many other issues we face, some people only care about themselves. Extreme greed should not be rewarded.
@Mick Heery: rightly or wrongly that logic has seen Amazon become one of the most successful companies in the world
Several thousand workers in a single NY warehouse.. how many if this is replicated throughout the US and at others like Starbucks mentioned in the article?
Unions definitely the big winners here if this is carried through.
Loads of multinational companies here don’t have unions either, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google…..hopefully gonna start here soon as well.
@tommy:
And?
Most employees in those multinationals most likely have better terms and conditions than what is offered in comparable jobs outside the multinational sector.
I know I had when I worked for a multinational years ago.
They don’t want the Unions and the Unions aren’t interested in organising there. The existing arrangement seems to suit them both perfectly in Ireland…
Everyone here cheering this on. But you you honestly believe the unions really have the employees interests in mind? How much will those unions reps be paid? I think unions seemed to have positive impact when employees were treated like literal dirt, but now there are so many employee laws.
Please someone tell me I am wrong and give me impactful examples of what unions have really done in Ireland in the last 2-4 years. And I really do mean impactful… fighting for a 2% wage increase when inflation is higher than that is pointless. Also creating rules to ensure the absolute terrible people can’t be removed is also terrible. You all see the waste in various sectors, unions helped create that.
@Richard: I work in the private sector and there are people here who should be fired but they know someone.. so get off the stage dude.
@Billybutcher: did you do something about it? Did you raise your concerns to someone on leadership? Do you have solid data to show why that person is not performing at their job? Did you bring it to senior leadership if you do not trust line managers?
If not, kindly exit stage left.
I do dislike all the folks who complain about their colleagues and don’t want to do anything about it. Maybe they would actually get better if they got some feedback….
@Richard: the bit you’re overlooking here, is Amazon employees really are treated like dirt. There was a whole thing about it. Insanely long shifts and getting docked pay for using the toilet. With many hiding and peeing in bottles. Loads of other horrific stuff too. It was all over the news not so long ago. So yea a union would hugely help as it would give them rights. In ireland we have basic employee rights they don’t have in the states. Another thing you’re overlooking. This is in the states not ireland.
It seems crazy that we are still struggling for a right that was already won through huge struggle a hundred years ago, the right to organise.
thanks for going to space…lol.
Great stuff , they should make their Union sign Jeff’s Dildo Rocket
Goddam commies
The ideology of a union is great, in practice they rarely achieve anything other than quangos who suck money out of workers and line their own pockets.
have your say