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LAST UPDATE | 17 Apr 2023
HEALTH MINISTER STEPHEN Donnelly has said there are “very clear lessons to be learnt” following the publication of a report into the secondment of former chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College Dublin.
The report concludes that he should not have been involved in aspects of the move.
Holohan had been due to take up a position with TCD on secondment. However, the proposed move collapsed after controversy emerged about how the position had come about.
The CMO then took the decision to retire from his role.
In its conclusion, the report states that the CMO should not have been exclusively personally involved in the negotiation of research funding linked to his possible secondment.
The controversy initially erupted after it was revealed that Holohan’s position would not be paid by Trinity College and he would instead continue to be paid by the Department of Health.
The Department initially said that Holohan’s new role would be an “open-ended secondment” and defended it as being in “the public interest” due to the skills he could bring to the third-level sector.
The open-ended nature of the secondment had raised questions in particular, as they are typically only a temporary transfer of an employee to another organisation.
After questions were raised by politicians and commentators over the secondment, then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin called for the appointment to be paused before Holohan confirmed he would not take up the position.
There had previously been criticism of Department of Health Secretary General, Robert Watt, over his role in the appointment, with TDs accusing him of “seriously mishandling” the proposed secondment.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane said that Watt had “lost the run” of himself and that he had planned to seek “retrospective approval” after committing to providing the funding.
Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall was also critical, describing it as a “serious mishandling of this proposal”.
The independent report was initially commissioned by Donnelly to “examine learnings and recommendations that could inform future such initiatives”, after Watt had completed an internal report.
The report adds that the “absence of any consultation with the Health Research Board (HRB) from the outset, on the proposed research funding element is a deficit as is the lack of detail on the governance over the proposed funding to Trinity College Dublin”.
The report also concludes that the proposed secondment of Holohan to TCD and the associated research funding commitments should not have been linked together.
The substantial proposed funding commitment of €2 million a year until the retirement of the Chief Medical Officer, “bypassed all of the accepted protocols for research funding and was linked atypically to one named individual”, adds the report.
The commitment to Trinity College Dublin by the Department of Health of €2 million per year for research funding (to include University Departments of Public Health and others) and the subsequent declaration that it would be subject subsequently to competitive funding “is unusual and outside the regular HRB processes”, concludes the report.
It is also highlighted that there was a lack of formal consultation with the Taoiseach, Minister for Health, Government and DPER throughout the process.
In addition, the report finds that the quantum of €2 million in research funding committed to TCD is not based on any scope nor costings, but arrived at by Watt and the Chief Medical Officer as an indication of serious intent by the Department of Health.
There was no consultation with the HRB, it states.
Guidance was also not sought from DPER as to whether the Chief Medical Officer, a Deputy Secretary General, could be seconded to the university sector as per the Government decisions of 2011 and 2021, in respect of Secretaries General, finds the report.
Responding to the report, Donnelly said the report “contains a number of important observations and conclusions”.
“There are very clear lessons to be learnt by my department. The Report is clear for example that appropriate consultation and communication with relevant Ministers should inform such decisions in the future,” he added.
“The report confirms that no attempt was made to conceal the nature of the agreement with TCD in relation to the proposed secondment. Indeed, as the Report outlines, those details were put into the public domain indirectly by my department which provided material to assist with a response to a media query.”
Donnelly said he has written to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe, to request that his department examine the issues highlighted in relation to future secondments.
“There are also clear learnings for my department. I have also asked my officials to examine whether guidelines need to be drawn up to deal with the very important issue of health research funding in the future.
“I accept that all of those who became involved in this process did so with the intention of retaining for the public service the unique expertise of the former CMO, who had helped guide the public health response during the pandemic,” he said.
In a statement, Holohan welcomed the publication of the report, saying that he had previously urged Donnelly to conclude and publish it earlier.
A short statement regarding the Report published today. pic.twitter.com/R9FbuTM4jO
— Dr Tony Holohan (@DrTonyHolohan) April 17, 2023
He said that when he had sought the secondment, he had the “full knowledge and support” of the Secretaries General of the Department of Health and the Department of the Taoiseach.
“I regret that a valuable opportunity to benefit the future of Ireland’s public health has been lost, but am gratified that the Report confirms that the engagement of both universities with the process was beyond reproach.
“As the Report and documentation make clear, Trinity College had no input into, or involvement with, the level of research funding proposed and decided by the Secretary General of the Department of Health on 1 March in a meeting with myself.
“For the sake of clarity, the first time that the amount of research funding was disclosed to Trinity was, as the report states, when it was included in the final draft of the letter of intent sent on 16 March by the Secretary General to Trinity College after they had committed to lead the project.”
Holohan added that he hoped there would be learnings from the report and that this would improve “clarity and competence in any future initiatives” .
“I remain passionately committed to improvement in public health and continue to seek opportunities related to my field of expertise in Ireland and abroad.”
The report itself recommends that existing circulars and policies on secondments be reviewed and that secondments for higher-level civil servants should be scrutinised by DPER and potentially by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Additional reporting by Tadgh McNally
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Well done for telling it as it is. It’s an outrage that isreal is not seen as a pariah state until this human tragedy is resolved. Unfortunately we all know that isreals solution is to maintain this oppression until the Palestinians leave. History repeats itself.
@Ivan Connolly: What history is repeating itself WW2….
@iComment: Ah, The Second World War. The cross that is borne to justify it all. Why not go back to what happened the American Indians, black people in America, various nation’s in Africa, Asia and the Middle East invaded by European countries such as Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Belgium. You are in fine company when it comes to subjugation.
Oisin, do yourself a favour and stop trying to take people for mugs. The security measures in Gaza went up after the Israelis withdrew completely and Hamas launched waves of suicide bombings, gun attacks, bombings etc. How should a country respond to such continual threats? With regard to the West Bank, did you ask anyone in power there how they can pay out over $340 million to jailed terrorists/ their families annually? ( equivalent to nearly half of all foreign aid in 2017) Did you ask why many European countries are reducing/ withdrawing financial support for this reason?
@Clifford Brennan: You should follow your own advice, the terror siege of Gaza is enforced to punish the people of Gaza for having the temerity to vote for the government of its choice, and to further divide them from their compatriots living under military occupation in the West Bank, the same reason Israel funded the fledging Hamas movement. PA financial supports go to all victims of Occupation force violence and war crimes, including the families of prisoners held without trial or access to legal representation, not just the ones who fought back. ‘Weaponising medical treatment to keep Palestinians divided’, by Amira Hass Haaretz, well worth a read.
@Clifford Brennan: Gaza has 2m people in an area the size of Louth. Israel is a nuclear power. But Israel is the victim? Stop this silly posturing!
@Clifford Brennan: Clifford, while we’re on the topic of asking questions, can I ask you one? Why does Israel continuously flout international law, steal land it does not own and build illegal settlements?
@Clifford Brennan: I find it hard to believe that it hasn’t occured to you that when you reduce people to nothing they use whatever means they have to fight back. Desperation leads to desperate measures. Just because isreal withdrew from their occupation of Gaza did not mean that the Palestinians plight ended. Of course they resist the continued theft of their land and resources and the denial of a normal life. Isreal has not sought peace because that would deny them all the land they want and so are prepared to keep the Palestinians under the inhuman conditions that completely understandably motivate those actions that you have described. Would you do any differently under those circumstances? You cant take everything from me and complain when I resist.
@Gavan Duffy: Nope, the blockade stops Hamas/ palestinian islamic jihadists running amok. There wasn’t a fraction of the security measures prior to Hamas gaining power and launching its attacks. Its ironic you mention democracy but then forget that Hamas have outlawed elections, opposition parties, political dissent. Oisin missed it too. I wonder would the Gazans give them another mandate? Those financial supports are called ” pay for slay” – it appears that several donor countries don’t share your assessment of them. I always take these types of biased fundraising reports with a pinch of salt.
@Clifford Brennan: It is ironic you mention democracy when the terror siege you support was established to punish the people of Gaza for exercising their democratic right to elect a government of their choice, a siege that continues regardless of the level of resistance of its victims. Would Israel accept a democratic mandate ? They didn’t the last time. Neither do they allow Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to vote in national elections, and allow Israeli residents of illegal West Bank colonies the right to vote in Israeli elections, despite not living there. The complaints about ‘pay to slay’ would ring a little less hollow if the Israeli government was not paying its occupation forces to murder and maim innocent civilians.
@Gavan Duffy: The real problem in Gaza is Hamas, they openly state in their manifesto that their goal is the complete anniliation of the Jewish people from the holy land, they breed hate. There is no comprising with these people. They believe the Jews have no right to live in this region yet their history goes back over 2000 years, Jews existed here centuries before Islam even existed.
Its worth remembering that at the start of this month our government released €8.8 million in funding to Gaza to help build a solar powered water treatment plant. Its a great cause and will certainly help improve life in Gaza. You’d wonder how many millions Hamas have wasted in their fanatical war against Israel? Either way I’m happy to see our money going to provide such an important service. It didn’t receive any media attention as far as i could see. You’ll read a lot about wasting taxpayers money but clean water and its treatment are vital. Its just a shame Hamas weren’t bothered. Can’t support trocaire when they issue one sided nonsense like this article.
@Clifford Brennan: Again I ask, why does Israel continuously flout international law, steal land it does not own and build illegal settlements?
@Philip Siggins: Hamas agreed to recognize the state of Israel years ago, the fact there was a Jewish presence in historical Palestine does not give ‘settlers’ the right to displace the indigenous population, many of these colonists are every bit as uncompromising as the most fanatical IS members.
@Philip Siggins: they are arabs suffering under the Israeli onslaught not just muslims as there are members of several different religions and their history too goes back thousands of years, but history does not entitle you to land people were already living on. If that were the case the Israelis would be insisting the US give back the land it took from the native americans and we could go on ad infinitum. It’s a poor excuse for what is going on.
Great job of shining a light Oisin. Sickening that this illegal occupation still flaunts its stuff with impunity internationally. A blotch on modern society.
@JoeJoe: Israel do not occupy Gaza they left in 2005….If they did not have strict border with Gaza they would get lots of suiside bombs in Tel Aviv…It is only 60 miles away…
@iComment: perhaps they could stop stealing land as a start and then begin a peace process leading to a two state solution. And before you try to allege that the Palestinians don’t want peace we can debunk the notion that isreal has ever offered them something tangible to accept in a peace process. This is a one sided situation and the side with all the control only wants rid of the Palestinians and nor a peaceful solution.
@iComment: Israel does not occupy Gaza they just keep it under the collective punishment of the terror siege, punctuated by regular attacks that kill thousands of civilians, including over five hundred children in the last one sided ‘war’, many of them killed by white phosphorus and depleted uranium weapons. They shoot civilian protesters including yet more children , medical staff and journalists. They shoot farmers trying to access their lands, fishermen trying to feed their families , dispatch death squads to murder anyone they consider a threat, a member of one of these death squads was killed this year while trying to locate their latest victim. They have used Palestinian civilians as human shields, well documented by Breaking the Silence.
Journal.ie spreading the liberal propraganda again.
@Mark Lee: Yeah, how dare they publish an article that compares the suffering of Palestinian children to what life was like for children in Crossmaglen before the Good Friday Agreement.
@Mark Lee: go visit Palestine then comment.
What makes kids want to blow themselves up?
The hopeless feeling of been put down with no future. Must have been like that in 1939 Berlin
You would think they could see that. Am no fanboy for Hamas but all Israel are doing storing this trouble for there kids to deal with.
@Seamus Mc Hugh: No future? Gaza is located on the same Mediterranean strip of coast as Tel Aviv. They have their own state with their own government – their future is what they make it. It is the way it is at the moment in Gaza because the leadership give more weight to destroying Israel than they do to the living standards and future prospects of the Palestinian people themselves. They just have to accept that Israel exists and get on with it.
@Damon16: That has to be your most moronic comment to date , congratulations.
It’s amazing how people who suffered terribly then go on to inflict terrible suffering on other people.
@Eamon McGowan: yes they learned a valuable lesson from been lead like lambs to the slaughter during the holocaust. You have to fight fire with fire when even country surrounding you has declared war on you and would be ecstatic if every last jew on the planet was exterminated, this is the ultimate goal of Hamas. The Israelis are not the problem they have shown they want peace on dozens of occasions its the leadership in Palestine that keep the hate going
@Philip Siggins: When they murdered those children playing football on a beach, when they aim missiles at targets in highly residential areas, when they shoot protesters in the back and physically assault children, are they showing how much they want peace then?
@Philip Siggins: Do you work for the Israeli embassy?
@Ebeneezer Goode:
The Israelis didn’t murder children playing football on a beach. Those children were the unfortunate victims of the inaccuracy of modern weaponry. Their deaths are as much the responsibility of Hamas as of the IDF
The reason the Israelis aim missiles at residential areas is to kill the terrorists hiding there. The terrorists use the innocent Palestinian women and children as human shields.
The reason the Palestinian terrorists fire rockets into residential areas in Israel is to kill as many innocent Israeli women and children as possible.
There are 2 sides to this conflict. There is no question but that Palestinian terrorists are the primary cause of the violence. But the Israeli response has on many occasions been disproportionate and they should be criticised for that.
@Ebeneezer Goode: Hamas launch endless rocket attacks at Israel purposely from residential areas knowing full well the public outcry in the international press is well worth the death of Palestinians.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: Em…that’s what I just did but you’ve just deflected and blamed the Israeli murder of children on Hamas! Modern weaponry has never been more accurate. It was a war crime and those responsible should be prosecuted. Hamas fires missiles at residential areas, you call it terrorism, which it is. Israel fires missiles at residential areas but you claim it’s Hamas fault that innocent civilians are killed? It’s terrorism too. It’s like swatting a fly with a wrecking ball. Totally irresponsible and total inhumane.
@Ebeneezer Goode:
No deflection at all! I said that Hamas shared responsibility for the deaths of those children.
The difference between the Israeli army and Palestinian terrorists is very simple. It is INTENT. The IDF are attempting to kill Palestinian terrorists in an effort to prevent the murder of its civilians. That is their INTENT. Unfortunately innocent Palestinians have died because The terrorists hide in the local population.
The Palestinian terrorists’ INTENT is to kill innocent Israeli men, women and children
If you don’t see the difference, I cannot help you.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: They were targetted 3 times before actually being hit according to eye witnesses…
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: they targeted children playing football. That you say somehow this is the fault of anyone but the person who gave the order to fire, is disgusting. Don’t worry about helping me, I’m not the one who needs help here.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: do you think for one second aiming missiles at residential areas because there were terrorists hiding amongst them would be acceptable anywhere in the western world. Can you imagine the brits launching missiles into dundalk because they had heard there were terrorists there. A civilised democracy is not supposed to kill people because they were human shields. Your argument is appalling.
@Ivan Connolly: That is not my argument. My argument is very simply that there are 2 sides to this conflict. But the the source of the conflict is Palestinian terrorism, not Israeli defence of their population.
The launching of missiles at and dropping of bombs on civilian populations has been happening western conflicts for a century, London, Coventry, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Bahgdad. It is horrific and unfortunate, it’s acceptability is a legal question, again predicated on intent.
The moral and ethical difference between Palestinian terrorists and the Israeli Defense Forces, is that the terrorists have the sole intent of murdering innocent Israeli civilians. The Israeli Government are not only correct to defend their citizens, they are duty bound to do so.
With regard to the local Palestinian population, Hamas hide among the local population knowing Israel will target the residential areas in an attempt to capture/kill them. The difference is that Israelis try to avoid civilian Palestinian casualties. Hamas celebrate their “martyrdom” as some sort of sick PR victory.
It is a very complex situation, but the blind pro Palestinian argument does not stand up to any moral scrutiny.
@Feardorcha Ó Maolomhnaigh: 2 wrongs do not make a right. There can be no excuse for launching missiles at residential areas, hospitals or young innocent children playing on a beach. It is inexcusable behaviour by the IDF and must be condemned by all civilised people, just as Hamas rockets must be condemned also. Talking is the only way forward. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
I’m donating to this great project by Trocaire. And I’m not buying stuff from the illegally occupied territories. And I have only contempt for those politicians who use the pain of people to get power. And I’m calling out Netanyahu on this.
@Joe Griffin: I’m not. Our government generously donated €8.8 million to fund the building of a much needed solar powered water treatment plant in Gaza at the start of this month. I think this is a great example of taxpayers money being used properly. Hit pieces like this one that don’t even pretend to acknowledge that there are 2 sides and 2 stories do nothing for anyone involved. Infantilising Palestinians and demonising Israelis is not the way to a lasting peace. I won’t be giving trocaire a cent.
@Joe Griffin: Netanyahu is shaking in his boots
It simply just seems unjust. I want more than anything for displaced or homeless people to have a place they can call home. I don’t object to people’s right to practice their religion; but I object to the displacement of peoples. I disagree with the movement of the Israeli state. I back those people in Palestine. Down with that sort of thing! Jokes aside…
Pieces like this get off on portraying Palestinians as the ultimate victims, without any agency and having no responsibility for their actions whatsoever.
Its the bigotry of low expectations and it doesn’t help anyone
Trocaire need to be asking questions of the Palestinians. Why is a twisted culture of martyrdom allowed to thrive there, with suicide bombers and terrorists lauded as heroes and emulated by children? Why do Hamas divert funding away from humanitarian causes into weapons, missiles and bunkers? Why have the Palestinian rejected a two state deal six times since 1947 if, as they claim, they want a two state solution? Where does all the aid money go (Palestinians are the biggest recipients of international aid per head)? Why does the PA leadership make conciliatory statements in English to the international press but then anti-Semitic diatribes to Arabic media?
The real crux of it is that Palestinians won’t accept non-Arab (i.e Jewish) sovereignty in any part of the land. That’s the main stumbling block to peace.
@Damon16: That’s probably the best and fairest synopsis of the situation I’ve read on the comments section. Ireland is undoubtedly the most pro Palestine anti Israeli country in Europe.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: What other states are you boycotting?
Had a fantastic trip to Israel in 1990. Beautiful country, lovely people. Would love to go back sometime. So sad to see what happens there on a daily basis. Wish there was a solution to this awful situation. Read Irish journalist David Lynchs’ book A Divided Paraduse, written as a perspective from both sides, very good and worth a read. Here’s hoping peace can be reached soon.
I donated
What makes kids want to blow themselves up?
The hopeless feeling of been put down with no future. Must have been like that in 1939 Berlin
You would think they could see that. Am no fanboy for Hamas but all Israel are doings storing this trouble for there kids to deal with.
@Seamus Mc Hugh: If they stoped launching rockers at Israel and using all the money they get from the EU to build tunnels…and trying to send suiside bombers…Then there would be progress…The biggest enemy people of Gaza have is HAMAS not Israel….
@iComment: Oppression breeds resistance. Not that hard to understand. You’ve only got to look at the history of our own country to see that.
@iComment: let’s remember that the only reason Hamas run Gaza is because the previous party to run the place achieved nothing from their dealings with isreal.
@iComment: tell the class why and how Hamas was created. We will all wait.
@Ivan Connolly: “the previous party to run the place achieved nothing from their dealings with Israel” – except unilateral withdrawal from the entire area of Gaza giving them, in effect, a state of their own. They could have turned Gaza into a Palestinian Tel Aviv instead Hamas won power and turned it into a terrorist state whose sole mission is to destroy Israel and kill as many of them as possible.
Its incredible and so sad that the world tolerates the continuing thieving of land and the slaughter of innocents – we outraged at ISIS and Boko Haram and Al’Qaeda so what’s different with Israel ?
The sooner good civilized people all over the world start treating Israel and it’s illegal occupation, thieving and murder as the backward pariah that it is the better.
What makes kids want to blow themselves up?
The hopeless feeling of been put down with no future. Must have been like that in 1939 Berlin
You would think they could see that. Am no fanboy for Hamas .But this is never going to end if this if the injustice is not highlighted.
@Seamus Mc Hugh: What makes a kid want to blow themselves up? Brainwashing.
His comparison with south armagh during the troubles is apt. Hamas and the provos are very similar in both philosophy and modus operandi, firing up young lads to do their bidding and keep the pot boiling.
@John Mulligan: Israel must’ve studied the British Army’s modus operandi in South Armagh during the conflict, terrorise the local population. Do they really expect the reaction to be different this time?
It’s sad when people’s hardships and suffering and daily struggles become click bait. We can all sit in the comforts of our own homes and point the finger but you know what, it solves nothing , which should be the point of any talk about it.
You say it’s a backward pariah! Have you ever been there? It’s the most progressive economy in the region.
Just received the following comment from a friend of mine who served in the British military. Can’t say I agree with him but I respect his right to an opinion and it’s certainly a different angle: ‘Paddy I love you like a brother but Palestine is not like crossmegglen, I I seen both sides in middle east and Ireland. I saw gangsters, drug lords and prostitution brother as a small example. Palestine I saw Arabs fighting Arabs, for the rights which many could argue right and wrong. But I never saw the same as Ireland. I say this in the respective way way it written, not as a post on FB but as someone who has seen it first hand. Posts like this play in to the hands of people who want to divide, and as a military man, a catholic and a forma trainee of the cloth, this is how good people are conquered.’
Rubbish. Gaza has been under a blockade for 12 years now with no access to seaports airports by an apartheid regime.
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