Barry McSweeney

Barry McSweeney is an Irish scientist who was the first Chief Science Advisor to the Government of Ireland.

McSweeney is a native of Cork, Ireland. He attended University College Cork, graduating in 1972 with a B.Sc. Honours in biochemistry. Subsequently he completed an M.Sc. in Clinical Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin. In 1994 he received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and biotechnology from Pacific Western University, an unaccredited institution in the United States. [http://www.ucc.ie/opa/pr/PRAlumni04.html Distinguished UCC Graduates Honoured - 5 November 2004] , University College Cork press release]

From 1987 and 1995 McSweeney was founding director of BioResearch Ireland, an organization focused on establishing Ireland as a location for biotechnology investment. He also worked as Director of Medical Business for Biocon Biochemicals in Cork and Sées, France, and as European Product Development Manager for the American Hospital Supply Corporation. He chaired the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Biotechnology in 1994-1995 and served as a member of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology in Science Foundation Ireland in 2000.

From 2000 to 2004, McSweeney headed the European Commission Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. He was responsible for the development and expansion of the European Commission’s Marie Curie Research Mobility Scheme to provide research and employment opportunities to young scientists.

Ireland established the office of Chief Science Advisor to the Government in 2004 and McSweeney took up the position on 1 September 2004. [Barry McSweeney, [http://www.irishscientist.ie/2005/contents.asp?contentxml=05p15.xml&contentxsl=is05pages.xsl Chief Science Adviser to the Irish Government] , "The Irish Scientist", 2005]

McSweeney was forced to resign from his position as Chief Science Advisor [ [http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22837/ Scandal forces out Irish science head] , "The Scientist", 6(1):20051121-01, 21 November 2005] after the "Irish Independent" discovered in October 2005 that his Ph.D. degree was from an unaccredited institution that had been "the subject of numerous official investigations, state bans and media exposés" in the United States, and that it had been obtained after just 12 months of study.Donal Lynch, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060212104857/http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/6475970?view=Eircomnet eircom net Degree of doubt for Bertie's boffin] , "The Irish Independent", 9 October 2005] [http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/20051009162932.html Gov must respond to bogus PhD claim on science adviser] , The Irish Labour Party press release, 9 October 2005] The opposition political parties, the Irish Labour Party and Fine Gael, criticized the government for failing to properly assess McSweeney's qualifications. After leaving the science advisor position, he was appointed to a position as research coordinator in Ireland's Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources. [http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1115/mcsweeneyb.html Govt adviser accepts new position] , RTÉ News, 15 November 2005]

Recognitions

In 2003 he received the Great Gold Medal of Comenius University in Bratislava for his contributions to European Union enlargement.

References