The Tánaiste is today expected to announce the appointment of a Cork-born scientist to a senior advisory role to the Government on science issues.
Dr Barry McSweeney, director-general of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), is to return to the Republic to take up the post.
The JRC, a research-based policy support organisation, is composed of a number of different institutes around Europe devoted to research in areas such as nuclear safety, the environment, systems engineering and information technology.