CLARE politicians have criticised the Government for the manner in which the Chief Medical Officer’s secondment to Trinity College Dublin has been handled and the financial impact it will have.
Last month, Dr Tony Holohan announced he was stepping down as Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health. Though an unelected official, Dr Holohan was regarded as the most powerful figure in the decision making during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He will take on a new specially created role at Trinity College which according to a spokesperson for the college will be “funded by the Department of Health … under the same terms and conditions of his existing contract”. The post was not put out for open competition and was created with Dr Holohan in mind.
On Wednesday, Department of Health secretary general, Robert Watt confirmed that Dr Holohan will not return as Chief Medical Officer and that his academic contract is of “indefinite duration”. Watt, one of the most highly paid civil servants in the country was questioned by Senator Martin Conway (FG) at the Oireachtas Health Committee about the controversy over the Department of Health’s decision to continue to pay Dr Holohan’s salary of over €187,000 salary although he will be working as a professor in Trinity College.
Senator Conway said it could mean the Department of Health was funding Dr Holohan’s Trinity post for the “next twenty years”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Deputy Michael McNamara (IND) referenced the brouhaha surrounding the attempted appointment of former Minister Katherine Zappone (IND) as a Government special envoy as he expressed his belief that the Government are not learning from their mistakes.
“It’s about the whole idea, the brouhaha about Katherine Zappone and a relatively small sum of money, she was the perfect person for it but it was determined by the Government that it was inappropriate and it wouldn’t be repeated but Tony Holohan’s salary is fourteen times more than hers. I’m sure no more than Katherine Zappone’s suitability for the position of the special envoy that he’s eminently suitable but the role shouldn’t be created without transparency or open competition whatsoever”.
He added, “We have a problem with recent nurse graduates leaving the State, I dare say Dr Holohan’s salary would pay three or four recent graduates if not more, it would pay for a number of them. It strikes me as something that the Government are refusing to learn”.
Deputy McNamara confirmed to The Clare Echo that he would be raising the matter at a national level on Thursday (today).
