‘Smart economy’ plan gambles with taxpayers’ money

“… ‘Innovation by invitation’ is now seemingly the order of the day. The evidence has been growing that this is nothing but a huge gamble with taxpayers’ money. The recently announced Trinity-UCD research merger has been the last throw of the dice. Its exaggerated claims about the number of jobs that will result seem to have been accepted ‘on the nod’ as it took a Cabinet sub-committee only a week to agree to it. To advocate as the Government does that science-based innovation is the key to Ireland’s future is not only wrong-headed but is patronising. The Government seems to have little faith in the ingenuity of the Irish population to find their way out of this crisis …” (more)

[Eoin O’Leary, Irish Times, 25 May]

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