A BRITISH university has been given £82,000 (€104,000) of UK taxpayers' money to "investigate the experiences" of Irish homosexuals living in London.
Essex University's sociology department says it will use a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council to study the lives of Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the capital.
Sociologist Róisín Ryan-Flood, who is leading the project, says she wants to "uncover the ways in which contemporary sexual citizenship, migration and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender imaginaries of the metropolis are mutually implicated in complex ways".
A spokesman for UK campaign group the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "It sounds like it's come straight out of a political correctness joke book. I'm lost for words."
An Essex University spokeswoman said: "Researchers . . . are looking for participants to take part in a research study which aims to investigate the experiences of Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in London.
"The project, which will be funded by an £82,000 grant from the Economic and Social Research Council, will explore why Irish LGBT migrants have chosen to move to London and their experiences there. It will focus on notions of home, identity and belonging."
Dr Ryan-Flood said she was trying to find "Irish LGBT migrants who would be willing to be interviewed about their experiences". - ( PA )