Minister for Science Conor Lenihan is to officially launch a book exposing the “fiction of evolution”.

Mr Lenihan will attend the launch of The Origin of Specious Nonsense by Dublin writer John J May in Buswell’s Hotel on Wednesday evening.

According to the book’s website Mr May says evolution “cripples sanity, promotes myths and obscures reality”.

He also said anyone who teaches evolution is “either ignorant or deliberately suppressing the known scientific facts.

“It [evolution] is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense,” he added.

Mr Lenihan said he is not launching the book as Minister for Science but rather as a TD because Mr May is a constituent of his.

The “Gorillas and Girls” launch party will begin with a talk entitled "How evolution made monkeys out of man” at 7:30pm before the Minister launches the book at 8pm.

Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland said the Minister’s appearance at the launch is an abuse of his position and an attack by the Government on both scientists and science education.