Researching our past to prepare for our future: Geological Survey Ireland assesses 10 years of investment in geoscience research
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From: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
- Published on: 30 April 2025
- Last updated on: 30 April 2025
Geological Survey Ireland has today published a review of their Research Programme 2015-2024 evaluating the impact of its investment
In the last ten years Geological Survey Ireland (GSI), a division of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, has invested nearly €17 million in 226 research projects directly funding almost 160 researchers in SMEs and academia. This important work has helped us to better understand Earth’s processes, and the impact of human activities, climate change and natural hazards on our world.
Earth’s natural systems are essential to sustain life and provide resources such as heat, metals, building materials, energy, food and water. Examples of high impact outputs from GSI funded research projects include: understanding the cause of pyrite damage to homes in Donegal to support new regulation; assessing our geothermal energy resources in Dublin and Cork to help develop this emerging clean energy sector; providing essential seabed information for offshore renewable energy; assessing vulnerabilities in groundwater resources, such as in Roscommon and Galway; and forecasting the impact of climate change on our coastlines to support local authorities and planning.
Since 2015, the GSI Research Programme’s €17 million investment has generated over four times that in total value of the projects, with over €65 million of research funding committed through co-funding and leveraging of external funds. Many of these co-funded projects have also provided opportunities for Irish researchers to engage in transnational project with European and US colleagues.
Welcoming the launch of the ten-year review, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien, said:
"The data, maps and new knowledge generated from these research projects have helped policymakers, regulators, companies, NGOs and the public to make better decisions about the use and management of our natural resources. This is vital as we face increasing demand for resources to build homes, provide safe drinking water, and plan energy and infrastructure projects. This report demonstrates the value of investing in excellent research that can provide evidence for policy and regulation."
Koen Verbruggen, Director of GSI said:
"The GSI Research Programme helps us to better support policy, regulation, and SMEs, but has also allowed us to build capacity and strong research partnerships which will be needed into the future as we try to address complex climate and environmental issues impacting all areas of our society."
In collaboration with research partners, GSI has also supported essential, high quality, national research infrastructure including open databases and physical collections, and facilities such as the Earth Surface Research Laboratory in Trinity College Dublin and the Irish National Seismic Network in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Geological Survey Ireland (GSI)
Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) is the National Earth Science agency. It is responsible for providing geological advice and information, and for the acquisition of data for this purpose. Geological Survey Ireland produces a range of products including maps, reports and databases and acts as a knowledge centre and project partner in all aspects of Irish geology. It is a division of the Department the Environment, Climate and Communications.
GSI provides a Duty Geologist service to the public to address geological queries and concerns. For more information, please visit the GSI website.
GSI Research Programme
The GSI Research Programme funds excellent research through a range of competitive, grant funding mechanisms and co-funding programmes with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Research Ireland, Fulbright Ireland and others. GSI also participates in international co-funding programmes through international networks for minerals and geothermal energy.
Research projects range from small scale, short-term pilot projects to multi-annual collaborative projects in areas such as marine geoscience, coastal change, minerals and raw materials, geothermal energy and geological storage for energy, groundwater and geological mapping including national geochemistry/soil and geophysics datasets. Project results, and data hosted by GSI is used for a range of applications area including climate change impact, planning, policy and regulation of natural resources and more.
For more information, please visit the GSI website..
A full list of projects funded from 2015-2024 is available on the GSI website.