Donnelly's officials went on 'solo run' on job for Tony Holohan

Members of the opposition are demanding clarity around the secondment of Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan to a specially created role in Trinity College Dublin.

Senior officials in Minister Stephen Donnelly’s health department went on a “solo run” by allowing Dr Tony Holohan to remain on the payroll despite taking up a new position in Trinity College Dublin.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has made it abundantly clear that it was solely a Department of Health move and Mr Martin “had no hand, act or part” in the decision.

Members of the Opposition are demanding clarity around the "open-ended secondment" of the Chief Medical Officer to a specially created role in Trinity College Dublin.

The outgoing CMO will remain a civil servant and his €187,000-a-year salary will be paid by the Department of Health when he takes up the new role of Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at the university in July.

Trinity College Dublin has confirmed that the role was created with "Dr Holohan in mind" and that it is a secondment from the Department.

Despite the fact that Dr Holohan will now be on secondment, the Department of Health has said the role of CMO will be filled "in the usual way for posts at this level" subject to the appropriate sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

"It is anticipated there will then be an open competition for a new appointment to the role of CMO under the auspices of the Public Appointments Service and the Top-Level Appointments Committee (TLAC)," a spokesperson said.

The Department of Public Expenditure confirmed that it is at the discretion of individual Departments and there is no requirement to record these moves centrally.

'No hand, act, or part'

In the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin reiterated that he had "no hand, act or part" in the decision.

He was responding to Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who claimed that this was "evidence of a cosy cartel", and "a scandalous waste of money" to allow "your friend" Tony Holohan to "dip his toe in academia".

"You're taking the public for right patsies", he said. "Stop this double jobbing".

Social Democrat co-leader Róisín Shortall said the nature of the appointment was "most peculiar".

She said it is "a very odd situation" for Dr Holohan to have been granted an open-ended secondment from the Department of Health.

"We were told that he was leaving the post of CMO and now we are told that he is on secondment, that raises questions about the CMO post, is that going to be held for him or what's the situation?"

'In line with normal processes'

Both the university and the Department of Health said the arrangements for the approval of the new Professorship were "in line with normal processes" and "akin in some respects to the creation of a new Professorship funded by a research body"

A TCD spokesperson said: "The post is an open-ended secondment, funded by the Department of Health. Dr Holohan is being seconded to Trinity under the same terms and conditions as his existing contract," they said.

"Secondments between organisations are a regular and common feature across the civil and public service to encourage inter-departmental and inter-agency cooperation and the sharing of knowledge and skills in the public interest."