Questions remain over Tony Holohan's 'unusual' €187k move to Trinity

Some TDs were deeply unhappy with the appointment of outgoing Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to a full professorship at TCD, retaining his €187,000-a-year salary. Picture: Gareth Chaney /Collins Photos

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and his top official Robert Watt will have to account for the decision to grant Tony Holohan an “open-ended” secondment to Ireland’s oldest university.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath said the secondment of the outgoing chief medical officer to Trinity College Dublin at €187,000 a year “could have been handled better”.

Mr McGrath made it clear yesterday that neither he or Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe were aware of the secondment arrangement until it emerged in the media on Tuesday.

“I think that there are characteristics of this that are unusual and it could have been handled better,” Mr McGrath said.

I will be engaging with the Department of Health on some of the questions that arise from that. Normally secondments are temporary in nature.” 

Mr McGrath made it clear that normally the organisation that derives the benefit should pay the salary and he said he is looking to clarify the matter as soon as possible.

He confirmed that the decision came “from within the Department of Health” and was not cleared by his department, despite it having oversight of the civil service. However, he said that not all cases require sanction before they are signed off.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said it is better to see Dr Holohan remain in the public sector than to be lost to a private company and that the issue of who pays his TCD salary "doesn't really matter to me".

However, she also acknowledged the situation "could have been handled better".

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the country is “fortunate” that Tony Holohan is choosing to stay as an asset for the State.

The fact that we are effectively going to benefit as a State from Tony Holohan in Trinity College is a good thing,” he said.

The Fine Gael parliamentary party was told night last that some TDs were deeply unhappy with the appointment.

Sources confirmed that a message from Seanad leader Regina Doherty was read in her absence, which said it was not credible that the Taoiseach was not made aware of the appointment or his approval sought.

Public statements from Ministers Stephen Donnelly and Michael McGrath were described as “embarrassing” during the meeting amid concerns over the ability to gauge public mood on how public money is spent.

Meanwhile, academics at TCD have said the appointment is “a shock and a departure from longstanding convention”.

Regardless of his merits,” said one source, “Dr Holohan wouldn't even be shortlisted for the most junior academic role. He doesn't have a Phd, and despite lacking even the basic credentials, he's been given a full professor's role.

“For someone to go right to the top, is the most extreme example of 'jobs for the boys' I and others have seen.”

One source pointed out that a role currently being advertised for a full professorship at the college requires a PhD in a related field as well as “an outstanding record of research and publication”.

He's been given this on a silver platter,” a source said. 

A spokesperson for the university said that the recruitment processes used were “neither unique nor unusual". 

"This appointment followed our regular procedures," the spokesperson said. "The university is completely satisfied that the professorship will deliver timely and relevant teaching and research opportunities, and that Dr Holohan is ideally placed to make a significant contribution.”