The Government has failed to respond to the continued decline in student numbers taking science subjects at Leaving Cert and third level, according to Dr Daniel O'Hare, former chair of a Government-funded group set up to examine the issue.
He said the issue has received no priority despite its importance to the Republic's economic well-being.
Dr O'Hare's comments come as the latest CAO figures reveal another annual fall in the numbers applying for science and applied science subjects at third level. The most recent figures are for August 2003, which take into account late adjustments under the "change of mind" option.
These show that 42,759 students applied for science or applied science degree programmes in August 2003, 4,848 of these choosing science as a first preference. These totals fell from 44,071 applicants and 5,205 first-preferences logged in August 2002.
The number applying for diploma and certificate programmes in science and applied science also dropped, from 25,404 in August 2002 (4,207 as first-preferences) to 24,984 (4,535 first-preferences) in August 2003.
The picture was better in the engineering/technology category for degree applications, up from 46,498 in August 2002 to 49,228 in August 2003. At diploma/cert level the numbers fell sharply, however, from 71,783 in August 2002 to 61,886 in August 2003.
Having a steady supply of science and technology graduates was central to the continued success of our economy, said Dr O'Hare, who chaired the Task Force on the Physical Sciences. This body was set up by the Department of Education and Science to assess why students were turning away from science and to make recommendations on how to reverse the situation.
The task force issued its final report in March 2002 but the Government had not acted on its recommendations, Dr O'Hare said. "It is essential to our economic well-being," he said yesterday. "Here is the real challenge and we are failing it. The Government hasn't attached any priority to the issue, or so it seems. That is worrying," he added.
"It demonstrates that the general trends are worrying for the future of high-tech industries in Ireland," he said on the fall in the numbers studying science. "This is a hugely important issue for the economic future of the country."
The continued decline was "disappointing", according to the chair of the Higher Education Authority, Dr Don Thornhill. The authority operates a major research funding initiative, the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, which has a 2000-2006 budget of €635 million.
"This problem is not unique to Ireland and our proportional rate [of science uptake] is higher than many other countries," he said yesterday. "But we must be careful not to lose our competitive advantage."
The chief executive of Forfás, Mr Martin Cronin, said it was essential that the task force recommendations be applied.