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DR TONY HOLOHAN is stepping down as the country’s Chief Medical Officer.
From 1 July this year he will be working as a Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at Trinity College Dublin.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Professor Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, made the announcement this afternoon.
Dr Tony Holohan said: “It has been a great privilege for me to serve as Chief Medical Officer and to have had an opportunity to be directly involved in issues of great importance and relevance to the health of the people of Ireland.
In particular, these past two years have presented extreme challenges to public health globally and I have been honoured to work alongside exceptional colleagues in the Department of Health, the HSE, the wider health service and across Government. During this time, I have witnessed the dedication of colleagues to protecting the health and wellbeing of people across Ireland.
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Taoiseach Micheál Martin thanked Holohan for his services, particularly during the pandemic.
“His steadfast assured advice, and willingness to communicate over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly helped saved lives, and kept Ireland safe during an exceptionally challenging two years.
His work chairing the NPHET, his professionalism, and calm and personable nature gave us all the assurance we needed during the pandemic.
Minister Donnelly said: “Throughout his time as CMO, Tony has used his public health leadership ability, alongside his many other skills and insights, to inform and influence decisions at the highest level in order to protect public health.
“Throughout the pandemic his invaluable advice to me, and to the Government has shaped our response to Covid-19, and I witnessed first-hand his unwavering dedication to protecting the health of the people of Ireland.
He will play a critical role in applying his knowledge and skills to the development of the next generation of thinking and practice in public health, and I wish Tony all the best in this new and exciting chapter in his career.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris, who served as health minister during the first few months of the pandemic, also thanked Holohan for his services, saying “I saw first hand your steady leadership, your work ethic, your determination & the personal sacrifices you made”.
Fine Gael MEP Frances Fitzgerald thanked Holohan for “his outstanding contribution to public health in Ireland”.
“It was always a pleasure to work with him. Hope he continues to play a key role on public health in Ireland. Every success in your next chapter,” she wrote on Twitter.
Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane also said that he wished Holohan the best in his new role.
He said: “He steered the state through a very difficult time over the last number of years.
“His professionalism and commitment to public health and public service is a credit to him and his family.”
Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins also took to Twitter to wish Holohan “the very best as he departs the role of CMO”.
“While Hospitality took the full force of the restrictions during the pandemic – the sector always followed Public Health Advice to protect the nation,” he said.
Who fills the role?
It is understood there will be a competition to fill the CMO’s position; Deputy CMO Dr Ronan Glynn will deputise when he does step down, with an advertisement for the role to follow.
Meanwhile, a new group to advise the Government on Covid-19 is expected to be set up “imminently”.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said yesterday that conversations have taken place as to who will sit on the new group which will replace NPHET.
Holohan has sent Minister Donnelly a proposal for the new advisory body.
Government sources state the make up of the group is being finalised and is likely to be announced next week.
About seven or eight members will sit on the new group, made up of experts in immunology, virology, epidemiology and also some from clinical practice who are working on the ground in healthcare.
About the Trinity role
Trinity Provost Linda Doyle, said that Holohan “will not be attached to a single School or Discipline within Trinity” as part of his new role, but will “traverse the Faculties of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences and Health Sciences, recognising the complexity and scope of population health challenges in the modern era”.
Holohan said in a statement that he is looking forward to the new role.
“Now more than ever, a strong focus on public health protection and preparedness for health emergencies is required.
I will seek to use this opportunity to deepen relationships and collaborations including with other universities and agencies, with the WHO and the various agencies of the EU.
Dr Tony Holohan was appointed as Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health in December 2008.
Prior to that he served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer from 2001.
With reporting from Christina Finn.
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Good on him, he did us proud while going through a horrendous personal crisis at home. Best of luck Tony!
@HunWithACause✊: Well said
@HunWithACause✊: I agree, it was a crap situation and they managed it well when you consider what we saw in other countries, including our closest neighbours.
@HunWithACause✊: he had a shocker, so many mistakes that cost lives.
@Dawn Harvey: managed it well, you kidding please say you are
@Sean: good man Sean. Now with your indepth knowledge (regularly professed in these comment sections), you’ll surely be applying for the job? Opportunity knocks.
@Sean: door is open for you Professor. Step up to the plate.
@Sean: Go away ya melt
@GrumpyAulFella: i not a professor but looking at Tony i should have gone into medicine with the 600 pts i got.
@Sean: still time to have a go
@Sean: ” i not a professor”. Amazing got 600 points in the leaving and can’t structure a sentence. I remember when you only got 500 points at the start of the pandemic. Along with ” I work in a large multinational”, ” my daughter is an epidemiologist” . Hilarious
@Margaret Deacon: fortunately i earn alot more than Tony, so that a no go.
@Denis Ryan: he meant 600 pints.
@Sean: Pretty sure we’d all be dead if you were in Tony’s position for the pandemic buddy. Sit this one out.
@Sean: no country in the world got everything right, but fact that Ireland has one of the lowest excess death rates in Europe since the start of the pandemic shows how well the response in Ireland was, a key figure in that being the CMO.
@Football in the Groin: Because of Tony’s “position” a vast amount of our elderly passed away unnecessarily. There are a lot of heartbroken families out there who will be happy to see the back of him. He was also responsible for the Xmas debacle and the harshest, most damaging lockdown in Europe. Those who want to turn him into a Saint will do so no matter what but the majority know he was an arrogant autocrat who lost the run of himself. Unfortunately to the detriment of the most vulnerable.
@HunWithACause✊: do u work for hse. Absolute much but than Harris but he won’t be missed by many let me tell you!
@Leisha Connolly: Well not by you with your own thumbs up
@HunWithACause✊: wish him no harm but he had a shocker with cv19
@Franny Ando: Incorrect, he’s not responsible for the death of the elderly. What are you talking about? This was a common theme in pretty much every country in the world, it was the nature of the virus, how is that solely Tony Holohan’s fault? Also, the Christmas debacle? In 2020? NPHETs advice in 2020 was for the hospitality sector to remain closed with the exception of take aways and delivery. The government did the opposite to their advice and cases skyrocketed. So how is he responsible for that? I get it, you’re one of those who needed a villain, a centre piece to represent the absolute drudgery of the whole episode and his face was on the news all the time. This wasn’t some Marvel movie buddy, he was just a guy doing his job.
@Football in the Groin: right? He advised not to open up that Christmas, and the government decided to anyway
@Football in the Groin: Holohan was responsible for shipping our elderly from hospitals into nursing homes to free up beds. Homes uttery unable to cope and offered no assistance whatsoever. Ronan Glynn was acting C.M.O in late September he said there was no need for a lockdown as cases were staring to level off. As it turned out they actually started to decrease. Holohan swooped back in and put the country into an unnecessary lockdown for 6 weeks. The dogs in the street knew the chaos that would cause reopening 1st week.of Dec. His arrogance wouldn’t let admit it wasn’t needed. It took over two years to introduce the “snake oil” antigen tests. He also said in early 2020 masks were not a necessity. He took 1000 people into the country in Mar 2020 for a conference on Alcohol. Countries who were already reporting cases of covid. Responsible for the longest harshest lockdown which had a detrimental effect on the economy people’s businesses, lives and mental health.
@Elaine Phelan: Wrong there was no need for the lockdown in the 1st place. He put the 6 week lockdown in place, against Glynns directive, with reopening Dec.2nd. People racing then to get Xmas organised etc what the hell did he expect.
@Football in the Groin: Agree. Well said.
@Franny Ando: wow, you’ve got it bad.
@TomTraubert: Really! So much undeserved false fawning praise. A lot of lives and livelihoods were lost due to mistakes made by NPHET over the last two years. Unfortunately it seems to be a large problem in this country to keep glossing over the problems and accepting second and even third best. Its no wonder we have an appalling health service and an inept government.
@HunWithACause✊: people deal with death in their family everyday, look at the war .
@Franny Ando: pity you’re not in a qualified position to do something about it. But then, you’d have had the benefit of hindsight. They didn’t at the time and we fared much better than many countries that were learning as much as we were.
@TomTraubert: I have enough personal experience of the H.S.E along with several family members who are still employed within to know what an appalling shambles it is. Nothing will change, in fact it will get considerably worse unless the government gets its act together and takes it in hand. As for covid hindsight the ” we did better than most” is a fallacy especially considering the lockdowns that were imposed on this country. Mistakes were made, NPHET were given too much power and Government were afraid to wrangle back control. It cost lives, it cost the economy and it cost the loss of jobs and businesses.
Well done to Dr Tony Holohan on doing a difficult job in an impossible position. Not everyone will be generous in his parting, but it can’t be argued he that did any less than his best to protect as many of our people as possible in a fast changing and dangerous situation. All while endured the loss of his wife and mother of his children. Not many of us would have the strength and the courage to do all that. Best wishes to him in his future endeavours, he has done the State some service.
@Eoin Roche: I’m sorry but this has to be somewhat challenged. Maybe he did his best and it was a difficult situation and I genuinely wish him well but mistakes were made. The nursing home situation was a shambles, we were the last in Europe to adopt antigen tests (our public health officials effectively mocked them), we completely shut down in the summer when the virus was low and unnecessarily closed schools while failing to adequately resource them with safety measures. All the while presiding over the worst hospital system in Europe. His best in many respects was not good enough.
@Toon Army: to add to this point, the HSE would not recognise Antigen Tests as recently as this time last year. The whole of Europe was rolling them out long before that for entry into any public situation. Whether that is Dr Tonys & NPHETs reluctance or the governments slow response to follow suit, it remains to be seen who called that one. Overall I thank him for his repeated messaging of vigilance and public awareness for appearing every day and repeating the same mantra of wash hands, wear masks etc… he certainly saved many more lives than Boris’s crew across the water.
@Toon Army: well the CDC in the USA says that antigen tests are far less accurate than PCR tests and the inventor of the PCR test Kary Mullis said that the PCR test cannot test for viruses.
There is also a video in the link I posted here of Kary Mullis.
I doubt Vicky Phelan and over 200 other women will be paying him a tribute!
@James Quinn: Well he didn’t afford them an apology so probably fair they don’t pay him tribute…
@James Quinn: Nothing to do with him, the error occured at Clinical Pathology Laboratories in Texas. The Director if the HSE at the time was Tony O’Brien, not Holohan.
@Sam Kendlin Hobbs: funny Vicky never is never critical of him, she has amazing qualities
Shame on trinity college for giving a job to someone who denied women reviews of their smear test results resulting in suffering and sickness for many women
@Richarddoherty: a defammatory lie
@Richarddoherty: the worrying thing is that at time of posting 564 ignorants liked your comment
@Sean Treacy: only 96 up voted your comment. Shows it all really, doesn’t it. He was responsible for deaths of our women. How dare you make that look light
@Sean: 96 people didn’t miss the point and knew all the facts about stuff before commenting or passing judgement.
Best wishes on yout new post Tony the whole country owe you a great deal of gratitude for the professional way you went about the pandemic over the last 2 years
@Noel Donohue: we owe you nothing Tony, your slowest in closing old folks homes and allowing flights from UK without quarantine in Dec 2020 cost lives. But you used to that with the smear testing mess you made. Great country though you get the chance to fail miserably not once but twice and get a soft job, i take my hat of to you
@Noel Donohue: what a load of bs
Best of luck in your new role, you certainly had to make some unpopular decisions, hopefully the new role will be a little more on the relaxing side for you.
@Fi Wyse: making unpopular decisions is his job but making so many wrong decisions is what cost deaths
Thank you for your service Dr. Holohan
@Ann Basquille Smith: No tks
Dear Tony,
Many thanks for your incredible work in keeping us all safe during the pandemic especially at such a very difficult time in your life. I wish you all the best in your new role.
Thank you so much,
Siobhán Lyons
Can we get rid of Reid also
@John O Mahony: why, do you want to do his job? Would you ever want to? It’s a poison chalice
@Ian McDonald: So, its very very well paid with perks aswell. Do the job poorly and cash the cheques, then head off into the sunset sorted for life.
@Ian McDonald: did I read somewhere that there are 4 or 5 people more highly paid than Reid in the HSE currently… or am I getting more drunk….
Thank you, unbelievable service considering his personal circumstances at the time. Couldn’t imagine being CMO during a pandemic. Top man.
Good Luck with your new position Dr Tony , you deserve it
@Muriel Ryan: don’t come back please
@Sean: what’s wrong with wishing the man Good Luck in his new position!!
@Muriel Ryan: because his incompetence resulted in people dying. 1.To late with shutting old folks homes. 2. To late with masks.3.to late with antigen testing.4. Not introducing quarantine in dec 2020 when hundreds of flights from UK came to Ireland. All above billy basics
@Sean: U seem to know the full details so why don’t u bring a case against Tony
@Sheila McNulty: Tony drinks in my local in Templeogue and i told him he made so many mistakes
You had to make many brave decisions and in the middle of all this the loss of your beloved wife. Well done to you and hopefully your new job will be less stressful and more rewarding. Hump the begrudgers.
Off he goes.
@LaoisWeather: ….and?
@LaoisWeather:????
Am I a cynic or is this jobs for the boys. Does he have an education degree??
@Bob Murphy: Not necessary at 3rd level.
@Bob Murphy: He just requires to be a subject matter expert, which he is. He is also an excellent communicator and leader, as well as being able to cope with the small minded trolls who inhabit social media fora. So yes, I’d say he has all the the required experience.
@Bob Murphy: He just requires to be a subject matter expert, which he is. He is also an excellent communicator and leader, as well as being able to cope with the small minded trolls who inhabit social media fora. So yes, I’d say he has all the required experience.
Sorry for duplicate comment. Got a message in wrong format message and re-sent it.
@Bob Murphy: Dr Tony Holohan tho right?
Thank you Dr Holohan. You have been a rock. I hope you enjoy your new position in Trinity College.
Incredible man, had one of ths toughest jobs in the history of the State under extremely sad and difficult personal circumstances. Thank you Dr. Holohan.
Only place he should be going is jail. He’s killed 100′s of women, and made it an immense battle for them to sue for damages.
@Brian O’Grady: Did he personally miss the diagnosis or was it laboratories in America? He killed no-one and it was the state that made it hard to sue for damages.
@Brian O’Grady: not in Ireland, you get promoted
@Brian O’Grady: a defammatory lie which demonstrates your absolute ignorance of screening services.
@James Gorman: he did his level best to try prevent the mis diagnosis coming to light and tried to cover it up. Tell the families of those who have died as a result that he bares no guilt.
@Denis Ryan: he tried to cover it up, and it took months for the truth to come to light and by doing so prevented these women from receiving life saving treatment. I only hope he dies a slow painful deatht like he condemned these women to.
@Brian O’Grady: says it all about u with your last comment
So who is he replacing or has this position been created for him. Just wondering as a new ministry was created for Simon Harris after the last election to placate FG so Micheal could avoid being FF first non Taioseach leader. Ah the strokes the strokes.
@Ian O Hara: And the vaccine is really a chip that might rob your intelligence. Oh wait. It already has.
@Ian O Hara: It appears to be an entirely new makey uppey role that is according to the Provost of Trinity, is not tied to any particular school within Trinity, which makes it sound even more makey uppey, the only thing that would make it more ridiculous is if it was funded by Pfizer.
@lelookcoco: what in my comment led your high intelligence to the vaccine
@David Van-Standen: think your comment is Makey Uppey
Picture of Minister of Health and CMO about the time of the Swine Flu Pandemic 2009/10.
Anyone care to hazard a guess how much their management of that Pandemic cost the State defending legal actions and settling (& not admitting anything)?
Not mentioning the children left with Narcolepsy for the rest of their lives.
Well done, thank you sir for doing the very best for us all. I most certainly would not have liked to have been in your shoes. Best wishes.
Very interesting timing…. I’d say he wasnt too happy with the current situation….
@Munster1: 1st July is a fairly standard time for these types of roles to begin. He’s been cmo for quite a while, handled a tough situation as well as anyone could at the same time as going through personal struggles/heartbreak when his wife was very I’ll and passed away. People should remember this before saying some of the stuff they’re saying in this comment section. Nobody is infallible and there’s always more to situations that meet the eye or is reported on properly. People love to just stop listening at the point that suits them (none of this is aimed at you or your comment)
@Munster1: he was out of his depth
@Sean: pair of you in it.
@Sean: Random unqualified guy claims highly qualified professional doesn’t know what he’s doing. Ok.
@GrumpyAulFella: that made me laugh
@Sean: Tell us again Sean about your 500 points in the leaving. Absolute joke of a man.
@Les Wynan: the facts are there for all to see, but you can only see if you open your eyes
@Denis Ryan: i tell you about the women who died because Tiny Tony thought they did not deserve to live
@Sean: now its 600 points in an above thread. Hilarious
@Denis Ryan: typo above? Surely i allowed that small mistake, Tony made mistakes that ended the lives of many women, maybe think of then, ye
@Sean: Your out of your depth u mean
A silver light shines throught the darkness.
@Sean: Go home and disappear up your hole. There’s no light there.
@lelookcoco: if Tony had disappeared years ago there would be women alive today who never got chance to have their smear tests checked again. Shame on you Tony
I’d say the comments section on this one will be a veritable sh¹tshow.
@TomTraubert: they already are :(
@TomTraubert: Overwhelming support for Tony Holohan I’d say…
@lelookcoco: surprising
@TomTraubert: Doesn’t surprise me given his contribution.
@lelookcoco: surprised me given the usual accounts here hammering away. I’m not down on him at all.
Announce Glynn
Best of luck in your career,now Leo can put his choice in place probably some “YES Leo”.
I despair for the intelligence of the average Irish person on the street. In a global pandemic that has killed millions they put the blame squarely at the feet of one person, who under extraordinary pressure also lost his wife. His greatest contribution might be that he was the figurehead who took the bile and venom of a scared people on his shoulders because they needed a bogeyman to target for something they were unwilling to understand.
Trinity must pay some money!
I recommend Dr Munster1 as the new CMO
I just realised my youngest is going to Trinity to study medicine. Doh
I think a bank holiday in is honour is not too much to ask. Thank you Tony from the people of Ireland.
Makes sense, we’re a very hard people to please, which isn’t unwarranted either really, still Ugh,
When Tony Holohan takes up his TCD appointment will he meet Luke O’Neill in the Common Room every now and then for a chinwag?
Thank you patches, rember the 5d’s of dodge ball
Good Luck Tony. A fella that really stood up when his country needed him. A calm person and safe pair of hands all through the last 2 years, despite personal tragedy. Yes there were blots on his copybook that have to be mentioned, particularly his dealing of the cervical crisis. On balance I think he did his best, which was good enough when dealing with the Pandemic, but not good enough when it came to what should have been better supporting the women of our country with such terrible diagnosis. I wish him well, and a slower pace of life now.
Well done tony you are amazing we appreciate all that u have done best of luck in the future
Thank you Dr Holohan.the whole country owes you big time
Best of luck shame on him all them poor girls with cancer including my wife that he has blood on he’s hands
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