Dr Tony Holohan has been reflecting on his final day as Chief Medical Office, saying, "today I stand down as CMO and leave the civil service."
"Together with the Department of Health, the HSE, and other health agencies, it’s been an honour to serve the Irish people, particularly through the Covid-19 pandemic," he added in a statement.
In March, Dr Holohan announced that he would be stepping down from his position to take up an academic role at Trinity College. However, after the move was met with controversy he ultimately decided not to take the position. Meanwhile, Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn also left the Department of Health in May to take up a job in the private sector.
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Dr Tony Holohan graduated from medical school at University College Dublin in 1991. After training in general practice he also trained in public health medicine, earning a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in 1996.
He was appointed Deputy Chief Medical Officer in 2001, before being promoted to Chief Medical Officer in December 2008. Since then, he received most limelight for his handling of the Cervical Check controversy and Covid-19. During the pandemic, he became the public face of public health restrictions as the country attempted to navigate out of the pandemic.
Dr Holohan came in for strong criticism at the time of the Cervical Check scandal in 2018 when it emerged he advised the Government against a full review of the screening programme. The scandal had been revealed to the public when terminally-ill campaigner Vicky Phelan took her case to the High Court.
The controversy erupted when it emerged that hundreds of women, including Vicky Phelan, had not been told the outcome of a review of their slides carried out by CervicalCheck. The Government ignored Dr Holohan’s advice and announced a review, which exposed further failings of the screening programme.
In 2021, Dr Holohan said he had “a huge amount of regret” over the harm done to women in the CervicalCheck controversy. At the time, he offered sympathy to the women affected but no apology.
As he signed off from his role for the last time on Friday, Dr Holohan said: "I believe that optimal public health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, is essential for people to reach their potential, and is key to a just and equitable society. Professionally I will continue to explore opportunities around health and related issues, but I want to see what else is out there too.
"There’s much to be done, especially with vulnerable groups, and now that I have more time, I plan to take on some pro bono work within healthcare and in wider community initiatives. The loss of my wife has also left me with a desire to do something meaningful in her memory, though the exact form it will take is still undecided," he continued in a lengthy statement.
He said: "Thank you to my colleagues in the Department of Health, government, the many agencies I worked with and the HSE. Having served seven Ministers, I witnessed firsthand just how dedicated each one of them has been. It has always impressed me.
"Thank you to the Irish people for their enormous trust, sacrifice, patience, and resilience in the last couple of years, and for their many kind messages when Emer died. I cannot adequately express how much this has meant to me and to our children. So many of us lost loved ones in the pandemic. My heartfelt commiserations to you all.
"And finally, of course, thank you to my friends and my family. They’ll be seeing a lot more of me for a while whether they like it or not!
New adventures lie ahead. Buíochas mór ó chroí, Tony," he concluded.
Professor Breda Smyth has been appointed as interim Chief Medical Officer, and it is understood she will take up the role on July 4.
Professor Smyth was a member of NPHET and the Rapid Testing Expert Advisory Group, and the Department of Health has described her as having a "contributed significantly" to the country's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prof Smyth is also a founding member of the Covid-19 - Irish Epidemiology Modelling Advisory Group (IEMAG).
Dr Colm Henry offered his best wishes to Dr Holohan on his last day and acknowledged his “leadership and commitment” in the role during the pandemic.
Taking to social media, Dr Henry wrote: "On Dr Tony Holohan’s last day as @CMOIreland, I want to acknowledge his leadership, courage and commitment throughout his tenure and the clarity he brought at a time of fear and uncertainty.
"This involved great personal sacrifice for him and his family. Tá muid faoi chomaoin aige."
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