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.”