Barry McSweeney, as he is now called in government press releases, fought tenaciously to defend his job over the last few days. In the end he leaves the post of Chief Scientific Adviser to become "research Coordinator within the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to progress the sectoral R&D priority areas of energy, marine, ICT, digital and geoscience". So instead of resigning in disgrace he gets to keep a significant government job by moving sideways. Is this going to be presented as a compromise?
The Labour Party's Jan O'Sullivan raises some important questions:
No reason has been offered by the Government to move Mr McSweeney sideways. However, one can only conclude that his continued role as Chief Science Adviser would bring that office into disrepute given his unrecognised Doctorate. The public is entitled to know whether a new position has been specially created for him in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, or whether there has been a long-standing need for this position to be filled.
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