The Department of Health is being criticised following Dr. Tony Holohan's decision not to take on a professorship at Trinity College.
The Chief Medical Officer has decided not to proceed with the secondment as he doesn't wish to see the controversy of the last few days continue.
He's also retiring as CMO from the 1st July, to avoid any further unnecessary distraction to senior politicians and civil servants.
Social Democrats co-leader, Roisín Shortall, says the controversy over the 'open-ended secondment' and payment of his salary has been a shambles:
"I think this whole thing has been a fiasco. It has been very badly handled at a senior level within the Department of Health, and because of that, it has resulted in Dr. Holohan stepping down, and we lose the value of his expertise which is very considerable. And I think what it points to, is a department that is out of control and a minister that doesn't have authority within the department".
