Research competitiveness ‘threatened’ by Government freeze on funding

THE head of one of the country’s leading universities accused the Government of threatening research competitiveness yesterday.

The comments by Professor Roger Downer, president of the University of Limerick, were made as the Government continues a freeze on a €150 million third level research programme. The €150 million capital element of the €320 million third phase of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions was put on hold last November. As a result, dozens of research projects and related building programmes have been delayed indefinitely.

Prof Downer told graduates of UL’s College of Science he hoped they would be active promoters of science and the ever-increasing importance of scientific research in ensuring Ireland’s economic welfare. “I hope you will express your outrage when, as has happened recently, governments make ill-informed decisions which threaten our national research competitiveness,” he said.