A leading US university fund-raiser has said that if properly encouraged by Government, philanthropy in the Republic of the Celtic Tiger could have a significant impact on both the economy and society, writes Andy Pollak, Education Correspondent.

Dr Scott Nichols, dean of development for Harvard Law School, was addressing the Ireland Funds annual conference in Dublin yesterday.

The most important lead the Government could give would be to bring in legislation to make not-for-profit gifts tax deductible, as they are in the US and increasingly in other countries.