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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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I wonder if they were never there and the esb proposed to build 2 massive chimneys would there be massive outcry as this destroying of the Dublin skyline??
You bet your f**k there would..people will complain about anything here.
But what if they tore them down, only to subsequently agree to reinstate them in response to the inevitable outcry. What would we all do then? Would we be for or agin’ that?
Knock and stick up a few wind turbines see the reaction then
In this case they Fingal County Council should have left Ballymun towers. They were pretty as well. What a nonsens.
Great that they’ll still be around for future generations. Still remember the feeling you get when they come into view on the ferry to the north wall after being away for 14 yrs.
Keep your hands off our twin towers.
Ah just get rid of them, such an eyesore
Im not a fan of them but if they must stay a lick of paint may help.
Fantastic news! It always feels like coming home everytime they come into view!
Next let’s nationalise Lambay Island and stick a big “Failte Go Dubhlinn” set in lights in case they change their minds! :P
I could see them in the distance from where I grew up, the welcome me home and mark my exit from the city every year and are a surprising comfort for many returning Irish
Are we really that desperate for landmarks that we want to keep a couple of chimneys?
Why not? What’s the criteria of a landmark other than a building or feature of note? These certainly are that.
Whether you consider they beautiful or not is open to one’s one taste but, these are examples of industrial architecture, of which we have little in Ireland with such an impact.
Only in Ireland would a pair of dirty looking industrial chimneys be kept. Honestly what is wrong with people, any tourists coming here only see an eyesore in the Dublin skyline.
This saga reminds me of when they made hill 16 a national monument which prevented Croke park being fully finished.
Bottom line I suppose, Irish people couldn’t agree on the colour of shiiite no matter how much progress is at stake.
Niall or thee battersbey power plant in London? Or say the van nelle factory in Rotterdam. The carrie furnace Pensilvania?
Hill 16 has no relevance to Croke parks current profile, only one plan to fully enclose the stadium was suggested but due to the logistical and financial impact of closing the rail line for the duration I the works it was deemed impossible. So blame the Dublin to Maynooth commuters
Battersea is a grand art deco structure. No comparison. A friend of mine visiting Dublin thought it was a nuclear power station.
Woeful comparisons there Wayne, try compare like with like.
Niall you mean like the Carrie furnace that I listed??
Nice you are ignoring that and your woefully inaccurate and ignorant assessment of Croke Parks development in one go.
I’m nor from ‘the Big Smoke’ so I really don’t get the whole love in with two big dirty chimneys, what am I missing?
I much prefer the sight of our greenery and cliffs when flying back into the country. Then again, our Urban cousins won’t have been exposed to as much beauty as us simple country folk so…lower expectations of what looks good I guess?
If you get a chance try take a boat trip on Dublin Bay Kian. It’d surprise you. Really scenic.
Great news.
Despite all the negativity. This is good news. The next step is to convince the FG pinkos on DCC to put the chimneys out to tender for redevelopment. An observation/viewing gallery at 179 mtrs high would give Dublin a great tourist attraction. Most medium sized European cities have a viewing tower somewhere. At a 179mtrs high this would be a huge attraction..
Nice Idea, but probably impossible – but how do you get up the chimney without completely rebuilding it ?
@ Michael Fehily
Aren’t FG in a minority on DCC?
It’s controlled by SF/AAA/Ind at the moment.
A zipline to the GPO from the Big Chimneys could be a major tourist attraction.
‘Falling to the Rising’ we could call it.
I assume the SF/AAA controlled DCC will vote against squandering 300,000 euros on refurbishing the chimneys and instead will send the money to one of the many worthy causes they champion.
They belong to dublin. Pull them down at your own risk.
Total waste of already scarce state resources. They should be sold to private investors/developers. I’m sure a rotating bay view restaurant on top is possible along with some kind of bungy jumping/rock face climbing , extreme rope climbing facility, adventure park type idea is very realisable.
John, ESB pays a substantial dividend to the state and is a very profitable enterprise the maintenance and upkeep of a significant Dublin land mark will be a small price for them to pay
If they’re going to stay then repaint them in the Dublin colours!
Remember a GAA advert from years ago where a couple of geezers painted them blue and navy?
It was a funny ad
Yeah, giant blue chimneys against a blue sky. What can possibly go wrong with that!
Brilliant, previously mentioned they should be a tourist attraction with sky lounge on top!
Just imagine the game of Angry Birds you could have with them !!!!
No offence to all the Dubliners who have an emotional attachment to the two chimneys but as a visitor to Dublin I reckon they are the ghastly.
Every time I see them I’m reminded of an ex-soviet Nuclear reactor from the 70s, old and decaying.
Snooze.
A viewing tower would be possible.The lift shaft being in the centre of the flu.Would be a unique tourist attraction for Dublin.oh and what about linking the two chimneys together at the top to firm a viewing gallery/restaurant ?Just a thought
I got a red thumb hammering for a similar suggestion. trouble is, people in Ireland expect government or authority to do everything for them, including pouring public founds into nostalgic projects that will only cost more and more in the future. Offload the things to the private sector and like you say, develop it into something worthwhile and profitable.
U obviously haven’t been down to poolbeg the smell of sewage is unbearable, the only tourists going down there would be kamikaze ones,long live the chimneys.
At least have them earn their keep somehow, a viewing deck or something. Otherwise I can’t wait to see the increase in my bill to pay for the maintenance.
Eye sores
Only in Dublin would incinerator chimneys be considered protected structures which compliment the skyline… Overlooking all the methadone clinics as the sun rises on a spring morning!
Dublin should have a nice modern day skyline instead of these eyesores.The are chimney stacks,every city had them back in the day.
Proper order.
“Skyline”
It is totally absurd that a Dublin City councillor is forging ahead to try and get a motion passed to have these chimneys listed –
These are now obsolete , requiring huge money spent in restoration costs – their use ended in 2010 and now they should simply come down .
If Dublin City Council elect to have these listed it will be a total travesty – their head is simply up their Ass even to consider this ridiculous proposal.
Can they not do something meaningful for a change like proper Council work and run the city in a professional manner -
Good drone video of the chimneys here:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YRUZF4AGNV0
Can The Big Chimneys not be used to emit the fumes from the mega incinerator or will be have to build The Bigger Chimneys?
Tourists must be amazed at the Irish knack for cleverly naming landmarks and eyesores we market to them for their key sites tour.
Tá siad uafásach gránna!
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