Dr Tony Holohan

New faces on group include Luke O'Neill and Clíona O'Farrelly with representative Taoiseach's department yet to be confirmed.

As well as advising Government on medium- and long-term responses that may become necessary, the group will be responsible for the evolving epidemiological assessment of Covid-19, and it will monitor new and emerging evidence with regard to existing technologies, practices and interventions for the detection and control of the virus. A representative of the Department of the Taoiseach has yet to be confirmed. The group will advise the Minister for Health and Government on how best to maximise Ireland’s medium- to long-term preparedness against SARS-CoV-2, among a list of other duties.

The group will be chaired by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan. Popular expert Professor Luke O'Neill will also be part of the newly created team. Promoted ...

Minister Donnelly said: “I am delighted to announce the Covid-19 Advisory Group and its membership today. - Advise the Minister and Government on medium and long-term responses that may become necessary as part of the response to Covid-19. - Monitor new and emerging evidence with regard to existing technologies, practices and interventions for the detection and control of SARS-CoV-2.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has this evening announced the members of the new Covid-19 Advisory Group that will replace Nphet.

The Covid Advisory Group will make best use of national expertise, international data and evidence. Minister Donnelly said: “I am delighted to announce the Covid-19 Advisory Group and its membership today. This very excellent group includes a wide range of expertise.

It will be chaired by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan. Members of the new group include Professor Luke O'Neill from Trinity College Dublin. Deputy CMO Dr ...

The Covid Advisory Group will make best use of national expertise, international data and evidence. Minister Donnelly said: "I am delighted to announce the Covid-19 Advisory Group and its membership today. This is a decrease of 34.9% compared to the previous week when there were 51,722 confirmed Covid-19 cases notified. This very excellent group includes a wide range of expertise. Chair of the HIQA Covid-19 Expert Advisory Group Prof Máirín Ryan The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced the establishment of the new Covid-19 Advisory Group to replace the National Public Health Emergency Team.

Speaking in Helsinki, Mr Martin said: “I've asked the Minister for Health for a full report on the entire process that led up to this appointment and the ...

But there was a research perspective to this. “There's a more medium-term perspective to this and in my view, it should be paused, there should be a reassessment as to how the objectives that are behind this can be realised in a better and more transparent way. Speaking in Helsinki, Mr Martin said: “I’ve asked the Minister for Health for a full report on the entire process that led up to this appointment and the Minister has asked the Secretary General [Robert Watt] of the Department of Health for that report.

The Taoiseach said there should be "a reassessment" of the Tony Holohan appointment. Micheál Martin has called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to furnish ...

Then this morning we discover we are going to work in collaboration with the head of research with the universities which we all think is a great idea. And indeed if the Minister of Health had a role in this well we will need to know what that is too. "But this cannot continue in terms of the management of any department. "And then we discover it is a secondment. "Why was that the case number one? and I think the research dimension of this needs more teasing out,” he said.

The Taoiseach has said there has to be greater transparency around the planned academic role for outgoing Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at Trinity ...

He said the Mr Watt will be asked after the Easter recess to appear before the committee and that Minister McGrath will also be asked before the committee and if the Minister for Health has had a role in this, the committee will explore that as well. I'm sure they were, but we want to be sure of that," he said. "We've had this before with the appointment of the Secretary General of the Department of Health, and indeed, the new Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, and the committee did meet and did issue a report with many recommendations which to date have been ignored". Mr McGuinness said it "shows a very poor performance in terms of management from the Secretary General of the Department [Robert Watt], and there are questions that need to be put to him and need to be clarified." He also said that it was "very much the role" of the Secretary General to look after personnel matters and there is a clear division of responsibility in government departments. Mr Vardkar said nobody in Government was happy about it because of how it reflects on them and said that both he and Minister Donnelly had made the "reasonable assumption" that a post had arisen in Trinity College and Dr Holohan has applied for it and got the role.

Micheál Martin said the appointment should wait until he receives a report from Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly on Monday.

He said the committee has “serious concerns” over the process of the appointment and that Mr Donnelly was not told. “The secretary-general is actually involved in personnel matters. I don’t see this as just a human resource issue, or a personnel issue in its own right, which I can understand.

Varadkar says he had 'assumed' CMO applied for professor role in Trinity College Dublin.

And indeed if the Minister of Health had a role in this well we will need to know what that is too. “But this cannot continue in terms of the management of any department. The nature of how the appointment was made “could have been better handled quite frankly,” he said. “In officialdom that would be one perspective, but there is a research perspective to this, there is a more medium term perspective to this. And in my view, there should be a pause, there be a reassessment as to how the objectives that are behind this can be realized in a better and more transparent way. We all understand the merit in creating additional capacity to create a research platform around pandemic preparedness, given the experiences that we’ve had over the last two years.

The Taoiseach has called for a “reassessment” as it's revealed Holohan would earn €30k more than other Trinity professors.

I'm sure they were, but we want to be sure of that," he said this morning. “[T]here has to be transparency. Questions were also raised over the fact Holohan’s salary would continue to be paid by the Department of Health “indefinitely” via a secondment arrangement.

The controversial sign-off of Dr Tony Holohan's transfer deal to Trinity College was described by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly as “leading by example” ...

Premium It includes Trinity College Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology Luke O’Neill, who became a household name during the pandemic. Premium The report will come in a number of days”. Premium Premium

CMO flagged intention to step down to secretary general of Department of the Taoiseach.

The Department of Education does not provide the funding, it is understood. The nature and funding for the role have caused a backlash, with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and other senior politicians critical of the process underpinning the appointment. Both appointments were made following Government decisions in November.

'I do not wish to see the controversy of the last few days continuing,' chief medical officer says.

“My strong belief is that this was a significant opportunity to work with the university sector to develop much needed public health capacity and leadership for the future. However, she added that the handling of the appointment was ‘disgraceful.’ It would have been very beneficial for those who are training up to be our future leaders in the health service. “But they called it a secondment. “We have a situation where they are calling this a secondment. In particular, I wish to avoid any further unnecessary distraction that this has caused to our senior politicians and civil servants.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin put the appointment on hold yesterday, pending a report from the Minister for Health to be presented to him on Monday.

In particular, I wish to avoid any further unnecessary distraction that this has caused to our senior politicians and civil servants. "In this regard, I would like to thank Trinity College and the Provost for their foresight and support in establishing this role. "I intend to retire as CMO with effect from 1 July to allow the Department of Health sufficient time to advance the process of appointing my successor.