Dáil passes motion clearing Ireland’s associate membership of CERN
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From: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Published on: 11 June 2025
- Last updated on: 11 June 2025
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD today secured the Dáil approval needed for Ireland to join the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, as an Associate Member.
Minister Lawless said:
“Today’s vote is the culmination of a long campaign, both nationally and personally, for Ireland to join CERN, and it is a great privilege for me to lead Ireland through the final steps to join as Minister. Membership will open extraordinary opportunities for our researchers, students, and businesses in one of the world’s most advanced scientific ecosystems.”
The Minister brought a Dáil motion to approve Ireland’s Associate Membership Agreement and the CERN Protocol on Privileges and Immunities. Dáil approval is a Constitutional requirement for Ireland to join CERN. TDs discussed CERN membership in the Chamber and ultimately voted to approve the documents.
Minister Lawless continued:
“With Dáil approval now secured, I will be working closely with the Tánaiste and Cabinet colleagues to complete the final steps for accession. Our goal is to formally commence Ireland’s Associate Membership of CERN by autumn. This will mark the start of a new chapter for Ireland on the global research stage.”
Associate Membership will bring benefits to Ireland across research, industry, skills, science outreach and international relations. It will open doors for Ireland’s researchers to participate in CERN’s scientific programmes and will make Irish citizens eligible for staff positions and fellowships at CERN. It will also be possible for Irish citizens to access CERN’s formal training schemes and develop skills in industry-relevant areas such as electronics, photonics, materials, energy systems and software.
Membership will also allow Ireland’s enterprises to compete in CERN procurement programmes. Much of CERN’s instrumentation and equipment requires the development or exploitation of novel technologies, which spurs enterprise innovation. Many of these technologies have applications in other spheres such as healthcare, space, energy and ICT. The World Wide Web was invented at CERN.
NOTES
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is an intergovernmental organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. CERN is the leading global collaboration investigating the fundamental composition of matter. It was established in 1954 and straddles the Franco-Swiss border, just outside Geneva. CERN currently has twenty-four Member States and ten Associate Member States, two of which are in the pre-stage to full membership. Additionally CERN has co-operation agreements with over 40 other states.
The main focus of activity in CERN is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This is an underground ring which is 27km in circumference in which protons, one of the constituent particles of an atom, are accelerated to 99.9999991% of the speed of light and collided into one another. The LHC was used to discover the Higgs boson in 2012. CERN also plays a leading role in promoting and organising international cooperation in scientific research. CERN research has resulted in impactful technology including the World Wide Web and medical applications.
Ireland applied for Associate Membership of CERN in November 2023. Subject to final Cabinet approval, it is expected that Ireland will complete the accession process by Autumn 2025. The cost of Associate Membership to Ireland is €1.9 million per year (2025 prices), subject to indexation. Under Article 29.5.2° of the Constitution, international agreements which impose a charge on public funds must receive Dáil approval.