The final of this year's IBM/DCU All Ireland Schools Science Olympiad due to take place next Saturday 3 March in Dublin City University has bee postponed until further notice. This decision, which affects over 600 students, was made this afternoon (28 February) in light of public concerns over Foot and Mouth disease. The announcement today that the disease is suspected in Co Armagh and the subsequent advice to limit border crossings and travel prompted the organisers to defer the event until a later date.

Given the seriousness of the current situation to the farming community and the ease with which the foot and mouth virus can be spread to animals, it is not advisable to gather students from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland together at the university until the risk of the disease has abated.

IBM and Dublin City University felt it would be unfair to exclude Northern Ireland students from the competition. The Olympiad has always been an all-Ireland event and this year over 150 students from Northern Ireland were due to compete. In order that the spirit of the competition remain and that a truly representative team from all-Ireland goes forward to the international competition, students from both sides of the border must be able to compete for a place on the Irish team.

The IBM / DCU Schools Olympiad is an all-Ireland second level schools competition where students compete in four areas: Programming, Physics, Biology and Chemistry. This year over 600 students were due to take part in the finals in Dublin City University next weekend. Successful competitors at the finals will form part of a panel from which the top four students in each of the categories will be chosen to represent Ireland at the International Olympiads later this year.