Sherlock denies science role clash

A minister has said the Government’s chief scientific adviser (CSA) has no role in science policy and that to claim otherwise was a “lie”.

In an online interview, since taken down, Seán Sherlock described as “a storm in an eggcup” the outcry that followed the Government’s decision to appoint as its chief scientific adviser the man who also heads its science funding agency, Science Foundation Ireland. The merger of the roles effectively ended the independence of the office of the CSA.

“There wasn’t a huge backlash, there were about 20 people I can name,” Mr Sherlock told an interview with sciencecalling.com.