Engineers Ireland, the representative body for the engineering profession in Ireland, is urging its members to consider issues of critical importance to engineering when casting their votes next week.
In an ever-shifting political and economic landscape, Ireland is likely to face many intensified or new challenges over the lifetime of the next Government, many of which can be solved or ameliorated through engineering solutions. Ireland, however, will also need to invest further in an education system that can facilitate bringing more, badly needed engineers into the profession.
STEM Education
In this regard, an improved focus on education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in primary and secondary schools is vital. Greater teacher literacy in STEM, lengthening the time spent teaching STEM subjects, and ensuring schools and teachers are effectively resourced to deliver even more meaningfully in these areas is of paramount importance. This focus is especially pivotal in the education of girls and young women, who are underrepresented both in the engineering profession and engineering education at third-level. A persistent, and potentially worsening, shortage of engineers is a significant risk to Ireland's competitiveness, and ability to attract and retain investment.
Infrastructure
Given the increasingly globalised and competitive market for both investment and talent, the relatively poor standard of Ireland’s infrastructure acts as one of the most difficult challenges we face in maintaining a healthy economy and society over the coming years. The International Institute for Management Development’s World Competitiveness Rankings, a frequently cited measurement of 67 countries’ relative abilities to create and maintain a competitive business environment, ranks Ireland 17th for infrastructure performance, but more poorly for basic infrastructure, where we rank at 38th (down from 29th in 2023). As was recently noted by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, here “Ireland performs poorly as assessed on management of water infrastructure, the density of road and rail networks, and – in particular – energy infrastructure, which is reflected in higher electricity costs for industrial companies.” These, and other infrastructural deficits, must be addressed by our next Government if this country is to provide a high quality of life for its citizens and support the growth of Irish businesses.
Sustainability
Engineering is also key to building a truly sustainable Ireland, as we seek to cut emissions, protect natural resources, and create climate-neutral infrastructure for a greener future. Engineers, as innovative problem-solvers develop the solutions needed to both mitigate, and adapt to, climate change. The Climate Action Plan 2024 contains specific targets for 2030, but it is now widely accepted that Ireland will not reach many of these targets at our present level of progress. Sadly, even were Ireland to reach its goals, global failure on this issue means further man-made climate change is almost inevitable, requiring Ireland to adequately plan to adapt to the effects of climate change. To accelerate our transition to a more sustainable economy, our next Government must not only refocus its efforts to meet established climate targets but complete initiatives like the Land Use Review and engage with international partners to accelerate global action on this issue.
Prioritising Engineering
Ahead of the General Election, Engineers Ireland's Director General, Damien Owens, said, “With many key infrastructural and environmental issues to contend with over the coming years, and with a shortage of engineers to assist in dealing with these problems, our next Government must emphasise STEM education, infrastructure, and sustainability. I would encourage all members of our profession to keep these issues in mind when casting their votes on 29 November.”