Sir, - The recently published Circa report of the Higher Education Authority was strongly critical of Irish universities, describing the quality of research performance in these "low accountablity environments" as "quite dismal". If this is the best that the members of the "mostly men club" (Education and Living, March 11th) can produce, then it's high time that the appointment, promotional and contract procedus of our publicly funded universities were opened up to public scrutiny. - Yours, etc,
Nua Research Services,
Clonard Drive,
Dundrum, Dublin 16.