Making science more attractive

Madam, - Never mind about bonus CAO points for those opting to study science and engineering (Editorial, January 8th)

Madam, - Never mind about bonus CAO points for those opting to study science and engineering (Editorial, January 8th). Instead, how about "bonus benchmarking points" for Government-employed scientists and engineers?

Public service salaries are transparently available. Every schoolboy knows that consultant doctors consider €200,000 to be "Mickey Mouse money", so every other schoolboy wants to be a doctor. Every schoolboy knows lawyers are making loads of money in the Tribunals, so every other schoolboy wants to be a lawyer.

A society that believes in market forces and economic incentives should increase the salaries of publicly employed science, technology and engineering graduates, until enough students are attracted to study these subjects. - Yours, etc,

DAVID CAMPBELL, Springhill Park, Killiney, Co Dublin.