Medical charities call for Irish ‘research tsar’

The Medical Research Charities Group has called for more government spending on medical research in Ireland to improve care and bring novel therapies to patients more quickly.

The group, which represents more than 30 charities that divert much of their income into research, made the call when launching its Manifesto for Medical Research on 26 November.

Failure to increase spending will mean patients missing out on new cures and treatments, the group said. It would also cause promising young researchers to travel abroad for better career opportunities.