Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
MARY HORGAN, PROFESSOR of Infectious Diseases at UCD, will take up the role of interim Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, Minister Stephen Donnelly has announced.
The appointment was approved by the Cabinet this morning and follows the departure of former CMO Professor Breda Smyth. Smyth left the role in February to become Professor of Public Health with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI).
As well as being a professor at UCD, Horgan also teaches at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.
In a statement, the Department of Health described Horgan as a national and international leader in medical education and training, in infectious disease and public health.
Horgan has previously been the dean of the medical school in University College Cork and she was elected as the first ever female president of the Royal College of Physicians, serving two terms.
She has held various roles in the health service and served on the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November 2023, Horgan was appointed by the Donnelly to lead the design of a new emerging health threats agency.
“Throughout her career, and more recently in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and her work on NPHET, Professor Mary Horgan has demonstrated the experience, expertise and strong and effective leadership skills that are required for the role of CMO,” Minister Donnelly said.
Donnelly thanked her for taking up the interim appointment and said he looked forward to working with her in “strengthening and improving Ireland’s preparedness for health threats and protecting and improving population health”.
Horgan said she was “honoured” by the appointment.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Department of Health and to bringing my national and international experience in healthcare to support the Department’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in Ireland.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Is the RCC making any contribution to this compensation fund? They were the employer and they received money both from the State and from the businesses which they carried work out for. Surely, there must be some liability there. Perhaps, a transfer of RCC school property to the State, if they are stuck for ready cash?
The RCC have not paid one single euro into the fund nor have any of the Orders of Nuns.
Is it me or does the compensation sound small. They worked for years as slave labour in these laundries.
Whether intending to or not you’ve made their claim only about money.
@Ross
I’ve seen a few of these ladies on TV and they have stated that they are looking for an official apology.
Read my comment fully. It was directed at the first comment who said that the money was too low.
Maybe that’s the your mind works so you picked it up like that. If they looked for or didn’t that doesn’t change the fact they should be fairly compensated.
Why aren’t the RCC paying the full amount?? Typical, the Irish government bend over and take it up the ar se every time from this corrupt and perverted cult!! Time to separate church and state for once and for all!!
It’s a good start, but i think they want vindication as well.
It seems small change-maybe there waiting for these people to disappear off the planet for good,to reduce that €12 million compo figure!…
The maths on that don’t add up and there is nothing wrong with my calculator.If you take 357 and even assume they were at top of scale. They got lump sum of 65,000 multiply that by 357 and you get 23,205,000 that’s not 12.8 million
Also when she states CERTAIN MEDICAL SCHEMES I would like to know exactly what schemes she is referring to.
have your say