Sir, - I sense there is a common thread running through your editorial on the White Paper for Science, Technology and Innovation and the recent letters from the Irish Research Scientists Association. I also suspect this self same theme will emerge in the run up to the forthcoming announcement of the composition of the Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council promised in the White Paper.
The theme? Scientists, qua scientists, are better qualified than anybody else to participate in these august bodies. Naturally, because of their unique importance and relevance to the work of such bodies, each of the basic sciences will have to be represented, including botany, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, zoology, geology, etc.
And what about the medical, environmental, engineering and applied sciences? So let's make room, the scientists are coming. - Yours, etc.,
St Brigid's Road,
Clondalkin, Dublin 22.