Outgoing Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan will remain a civil servant and his €187,000 a year public service salary will be paid by the Department of Health when he takes up a new job in Trinity College Dublin later this year.
Last week it was announced that Dr Holohan would be stepping down from his role as Chief Medical Officer and take up a position as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at Trinity College Dublin on July 1.
Now a spokesperson for Trinity has confirmed that the new post is an “open-ended secondment” funded by the Department of Health under the same terms as Dr Holohan’s existing contract.
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In a statement, the spokesperson for the university said that the role was created with “Dr Holohan in mind” and that he will receive no salary from Trinity College but will instead continue to be paid by the Department of Health, which will remain his employer.
“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 co-operation and the sharing of knowledge and skills in the public interest.
“The Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership (2022) was established by the College Board in the context of recent and ongoing global events, including conflict, climate change, migration and the recent pandemic, having impacted on almost every aspect of our lives.
“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.
“Following an interview by the Selection Committee (the Provost, Vice-Provost, three faculty Deans and an External Assessor from the University of Milan), the University Council approved the appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to the Professorship on 25 March 2022.”
Speaking about his new position at Trinity College Dublin, Dr Holohan said: “I am very excited by this new opportunity, and I look forward with energy and enthusiasm to working with the Provost of Trinity College Dublin and her team, and through this to continue to contribute to improving public health policy, practice and outcomes.
“I look forward to using my experience, knowledge and skills to enable Trinity College Dublin to make a leading contribution to strengthening the knowledge and practice of public health leadership in Ireland.”
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