Mr. Tom Boland:

I am a believer in evidence-based policy making. I do not think the evidence to that effect is overwhelming but certainly that is happening in some cases. To use the phrase again, high flyers are more likely to be attracted away from Ireland. However, people also go to other jurisdictions for other reasons. An individual may leave Ireland because the laboratory facilities or the team members potentially available somewhere else are much better. It is not simply a question of vast numbers of academics travelling around the world in pursuit of higher salaries. By and large there is a reasonable level of stability. At the top notch level to which the presidents were referring, the capacity of Ireland to attract individuals is limited but we have nonetheless attracted and retained a number of high quality people. It is not a black and white story but I still see value in granting flexibility to universities and institutes in the area of pay given that it accounts for three quarters of their resources. I am, however, aware of the complex environment in which that would arise.