More on the Barry McSweeney saga in todays Irish Times:
Mr Martin said before the weekend that a decision might be made within a couple of days, raising expectations that the Cabinet might settle the issue at today’s meeting.
This could not be confirmed yesterday, however.
Dr McSweeney could not be reached for comment.
The Labour Party’s spokeswoman on education and science, Jan O’Sullivan, continued yesterday to press the Minister for details relating to the adviser.
“There are still unanswered questions about Dr McSweeney’s claim that Pacific Western was different” when he received his degree in 1992, Ms O’Sullivan said yesterday.
She wrote to the Minister on November 4th, requesting more information, including details of the research conducted by Dr McSweeney for his PhD. “Neither of these have been clarified to my mind,” she said.
A resignation this week?
Comments
2 responses to “Talks over science adviser's disputed PhD continuing”
Here’s my letter that the Irish Times chose not to publish (I think I’m blacklisted again for some unknown offence – unlike your uncle!).
10 November 2005
Madam,
“Dr” Barry McSweeney
In defense of his, er, unusual PhD, “Dr” Barry McSweeney, in his first substantive media interview about the source of his doctoral degree, says “I value the contents of the PhD and that is why I use the PhD … It would
be so sad if I couldn’t continue over a decision I made in 1992.” (Ireland, November 10th).
But the Government’s chief science adviser is being castigated not for his decision to obtain a “PhD” from Pacific Western “University” in 1992, but for his continued flaunting of it in 2004/5.
To regain his honour, he should resign from his current position, and then re-apply when it is advertised.
Yours etc,
Tony Allwright
1800 hrs Tue 11/11 Breaking news.
He’s gone. He’s history. Fired ignominiously. Good riddance.
He should have followed my (unpublished) Irish Times advice and jumped before being pushed and so preserved a shred of personal dignity.