The Minister for Education has been accused of a breach of faith in discontinuing funding that would have been used to support scientific research by students.
"This is more than just shabby treatment," according to Fine Gael's spokesman on education, Mr Richard Bruton. He was referring to last week's announcement at the Department of Education and Science that only £500,000 would be made available to support graduate and postgraduate researchers rather than the expected £1.5 million.
More than 350 projects were submitted to the National Research Support Board and about 90 might have expected to receive funding, Mr Bruton said. Until this year awards were made via the Office of Science and Technology within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Last week the Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology, Mr Noel Treacy, gave details of how funding worth £5 million allocated to the Department of Education and Science would be spent. Included in this programme was £500,000 for the Research Support Board, about £1 million less than the board had expected.
