As if nothing was wrong...

THROUGHOUT this week and last week Government chief scientific advisor Dr Barry McSweeney declined to return daily calls from the Irish Examiner.

Indeed, he spoke publicly to no newspapers or other media outlets and continued on with the business of representing Ireland’s entire scientific and research community as if nothing was wrong.

Then on Thursday, as questions about the authenticity of his PhD deepened and more and more foreign academics piled on criticism, he finally responded.

But, as some might have expected, he did not apologise for having brought the scientific community and Government he represents into disrepute.

He did not concede that a PhD of any kind from an institution like Pacific Western University was for the community he represents an unforgivable error.

Nor did he concede that more than four weeks of continuing controversy was making a fool of Ireland’s standing in the international scientific community.

Instead he called on the Irish Times who shamefully facilitated a piece of cynical spin.

In an exclusive interview with that paper on Thursday, Dr McSweeney was asked no difficult questions and instead offered a clear platform to present himself as a victim of the press who had unwittingly chosen the wrong institution for his PhD way back when.

The interview drew a harsh reaction from academics on both sides of the Atlantic, although for the moment only those in the US were willing to go on the record.

“Do you use the verb ‘to spin’ in the same way we do in the States?” queried George Washington University English Professor Margaret Soltan from the US capital.

“Here in Washington DC, Mr McSweeney’s comments to the Irish Times about his current uncomfortable circumstances would be called a perfect instance of spin - the spinning around of damaging information to make it look good, or at the very least pitiable,” she concluded.

Her point is well made. The article has Dr McSweeney using phrases and words like “media circus” and having been “under the hammer for five weeks”.

He then goes on to tell us how he still believes he has the backing of the Government and is “confident” and “enthusiastic” and “upbeat” and “excited” about the prospects for Irish science and research.

The article prompted indignation all right. All around the universities of this nation academics spoke privately of their anger.

Even those in state agencies charged with overseeing science policy were appalled at the damage this controversy was inflicting on Ireland’s name.

But the civil servants could not speak their feelings publicly since Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin is engaged in a frustratingly slow “due process” with Dr McSweeney.

Thankfully as Irish Times readers were being invited to admire the character and tenacity of Dr McSweeney, a man with those very qualities in abundance was becoming increasingly concerned at what the rest of the world would think of a Government scientific adviser with dubious academic qualifications.

Contacted by the Irish Examiner, Ed Walsh agreed to make a statement.

In a few short paragraphs Professor Walsh made it clear that failure to address this issue quickly would quickly see Ireland’s hard-fought-for reputation among researchers world- wide plummet.

“This is not a matter that is improved by delay - it really needs to be addressed fairly promptly otherwise it becomes a cause of international embarrassment to everyone,” he would later tell RTÉ.

Through his intervention Professor Walsh has all but forced the fate of Dr McSweeney who will likely have vacated his office by this time next week.

Professor Walsh chaired the top level International Government Commission of experts which first recommended the establishment of the office of chief scientific adviser.

In addition the former University of Limerick president and chairman of the Science Council is one of Ireland’s most respected academics.

Damning criticism from the very man who is responsible for seeing his job created in the first place now renders Dr McSweeney’s job untenable.

It is a shame that the only academic brave enough to come forward - until now - was Fiona De Londras, from Dublin’s Griffith College.

She, and in turn Ed Walsh displayed the kind of bravery, integrity and force of conviction so lacking in all the other protagonists this scandal has touched this past month.