An external review is to be carried out into the now-scrapped secondment of Tony Holohan to Trinity College.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says he'll appoint an expert to oversee it.
He says there are lessons to be learnt from the Chief Medical Officer's planned job move.
The secretary-general of his department, Robert Watt, defended his role in the appointment, in a report published last night.
Sinn Féin's health spokesman, Waterford TD, David Cullinane, says several questions remain unanswered:
"The Minister for Health was kept in the dark in relation to the finer details of this move.
"It also was very clear to me that when the Minister for Health became clear and was made aware of the final details, that he failed to act as Minister.
"And all of this was of the Department's own making and was exacerbated by the failure of the Minister for Health.
"So, there are questions still which remain unanswered. Hopefully an external review will answer those questions."
A statement from Minister Donnelly yesterday evening reads in full:
On Monday I received a briefing note regarding the previously proposed secondment of the Chief Medical Officer to Trinity College Dublin as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership. The briefing, which was done in a few short days, outlines the context for the secondment.
There has been criticism that the Department did not outline the full details of what was being proposed when it was announced. The Department has accepted that the proposed arrangements should have been communicated earlier. The Department also acknowledges that there are lessons to be learnt. I am initiating a review, having regard to the process of the proposed secondment of the Chief Medical Officer and research proposal, to examine learnings and recommendations that could inform future such initiatives. I am appointing an external expert to carry out this review.
It is fully appropriate for there to be scrutiny of significant appointments and announcements. Such scrutiny should be devoid of personalised commentary directed at civil servants who are working in good faith with good intentions. We have a strong civil service in Ireland as evidenced throughout the pandemic and we should not lose sight of that.
ENDS
