Sir, - One is struck by the contrast between coverage in the international media of the Irish literary and artistic renaissance, and the similarly comprehensive coverage of the dark ages of Irish, science in such prestigious journals as Nature and Science. However, one does have to admire the elegant footwork of those who hold responsibility for this continuing scandal.
Pat Rabbitte asked in The Irish Times if there was " anybody out there" to respond to his White Paper. Well, yes, there are, although the continued value placed on science in Ireland means that a substantial portion of his constituency resides, voteless, abroad.
Kingston Mills (November 30th) is right to be irritated by the tendency of Government to hide, behind the figure of IR£800 million allegedly spent annually on science and technology. This bears no relationship to investment in Irish science. The total funding of Irish biomedical research via the Health Research Board is of an order that would fund the annual budget of a modestly sized, internationally competitive laboratory. Investment in plant in basic research laboratories is paltry, and the few individuals who manage to make serious contributions rely almost entirely on external funding.
The fundamental problem is the lack of understanding in society of the value of science. This permits politicians to avoid an area where votes are not at risk. Perhaps it is time that the media examined aspects of science in Ireland which have a direct relationship to our prosperity.
Given that we claim to be 15th in the world in pharmaceutical exports, how much direct investment in research, as opposed to production, marketing and sales, have these companies made in Ireland? How do we compare with countries like Denmark, Spain or Portugal in terms of proportionate investment in research vs production by the industry? What fraction of science graduates ultimately obtains jobs in science in Ireland?
These issues will not be addressed until we appreciate that funding for science and funding for technology, never mind the ill defined strategic initiatives are separate, albeit potentially related issues. We have no Minister - not even a Minister of State - for Science. There is no individual at the Cabinet table who continues to survive based on the success of advocacy for science, pure and simple. The current challenge is not to transfer the fruits of science to Irish industry, it is to produce the fruits in the first place. Investment is needed to plant the orchard, not to distribute the apples. Basic research is fundamental to the prosperity of any modern society. Aside from its direct benefits, it refines political decision making. The absence of a scientific culture in Ireland, or expertise in Government, has been apparent in the official reactions to issues ranging from the Hepatitis B affair to BSE and steroids in the swimming pool.
The White Paper does not address the critical underfunding of basic research in serious terms. Although we have demonstrated our creativity and commercial vitality in many ways, our growth in the next century cannot rely on riverdancing at the crossroads. A real sign of hope would be the creation of a Ministry for Science. - Yours, etc,
Robinette Foundation Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Chair, Dept. of Pharmacology,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, Pa 19004, US.