2005 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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Chief Science Adviser to the Irish Government
Barry Mc Sweeney
Chief Science Adviser to the Irish Government

The office of the Chief Science Adviser (CSA) was established in 2004 and on September 1st 2004 Barry Mc Sweeney took up position as Ireland's first Chief Science Adviser to the Government.


Barry McSweeney

The Irish system of Science Governance is based on a joined up Government approach to science. Such a mechanism allows consideration of complex issues which, by their nature, are best handled at multi-departmental level. Examples include sustainable food and agriculture, food and health, climate change, environment and agriculture and environment and health. The position of CSA is central to Irish science governance. Ireland also has a Cabinet Committee on Science and Technology, the group of senior ministers whose Departments have a significant science agenda. The Committee includes An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, TD and An T�naiste, Mary Harney TD, who is also Minister for Health and Children. The CSA participates in the meetings of the Cabinet Committee and formally reports to it. An Interdepartmental Committee (IDC) on Science, Technology and Innovation plays a key role in assuring a "joined-up Government" approach to science. This committee is made up of senior civil servants from the relevant Government Departments and the CSA also participates in the IDC. It examines any issues which will be referred to the Cabinet Committee. An independent Advisory Science Council (ASC) made up of senior figures from Industry and Academia examines science issues from the main stakeholders' point of view. The CSA attends the ASC meetings and therefore provides a common link between the committees/groups involved in science governance in Ireland.


Work Programme

The office is advisory and avoids operational activities. In effect, it provides oversight to Government on the Irish science programmes.

The current activities of the CSA are dominated by the preparation for the next phase of the National Research and Development programme which is due to commence in 2007. Considerations include the capacity and coherence of publicly funded research (the CSA chairs the group of Agencies/Departments which fund research) particularly in increasing research capacity in the context of Lisbon/ Barcelona objectives, and researcher career structures and systems which allow for the tracking and evaluation of public investment in research. In addition to the national research plans, other activities include providing opinion or advice on Ireland's position on FP7, REACH (proposed chemicals legislation), stem cell research, toxic waste incineration and a range of other topics.

The CSA operates at the interface between science and politics. In providing science based opinions or advice to the political system it is important that the other issues involved in decision making are recognised. These include cultural, political, social and economic, ethical and moral and environmental issues.

A key function of the office is ensuring that the views of the scientific community are accurately translated into issues which are recognisable and therefore more likely to be acted upon by the political system. Likewise the office plays a role in explaining to the science community various political and other "non-science" considerations in decision making.



This is an edited version of the Keynote speech "The Case for an EU Chief Science Adviser" which was delivered by Dr Barry Mc Sweeney to the European Policy Centre Conference: The Role of Science in EU Decision-making, in June 2005.
Contact: Dr Barry Mc Sweeney,
Chief Science Adviser to the Government,
Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2;
Tel: +353 (0)1 6073047; Fax: +353 (0)1 6073059;
E-mail: [email protected]