Nobody happy about handling of Holohan appointment, says Varadkar
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Nobody in government is happy with the handling of the secondment of Dr Tony Holohan, the Tánaiste says.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Friday morning, Leo Varadkar said that the pausing of the outgoing CMO's secondment to Trinity College Dublin was the right move and that he had "assumed" the job had been secured in an open competition.
Mr Varadkar said that it was appropriate that the move had been sanctioned by the department's Secretary-General Robert Watt but it was important to ascertain that the proper procedures had been followed, which he "was sure" were.
"When I heard about (Dr Holohan's new role) I kind of assumed the job came up and he applied for it and got it and that's what happened. And it appears that it's a little more complicated than that. So we think it's appropriate because it does involve taxpayers' money, that the appointment be paused for a short period."
Mr Varadkar said that he and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly had made the "reasonable assumption" that the role of Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at Trinity College Dublin had come up and Dr Holohan had applied.
However, he said that he did not feel personally misled, having released a statement himself that said that the CMO was leaving the public service.
"Nobody in government was happy about this because even though we were not involved in any way, these things do reflect on us, because we're the politicians in charge. And that's why the Taoiseach took the decision to pause the appointment until we get a full report and get a proper understanding as to what happened here and whether the procedures were followed properly."
Mr Varadkar said that he was not directly involved in the appointment but said that it was not simply a case of asking those involved what had happened. He said that he expects a report may take a number of days.
The Tánaiste said that this report would ascertain whether a secondment was necessary at all. Mr Varadkar said that he had not heard Health Minister Stephen Donnelly's comments on Wednesday where he said that regardless of who was paying Dr Holohan's salary, it was "all public money".
"It would appear that it involves an additional expenditure of taxpayers money, because there will be a CMO and that CMO will be paid and there is also this new position. So I think because it creates a new position and therefore a new cost on the taxpayer, that does matter. And that's why the Taoiseach has asked for a report on it, so that we can assure ourselves that procedures were followed correctly."
The Tánaiste said that he could see why people would draw parallels between this issue and the botched appointment of Katherine Zappone as a UN envoy last summer.
However, he said that that appointment was different because it was a political appointee but Dr Holohan's move was approved by Department of Health Secretary-General Robert Watt.
"There is a very clear division of responsibility and government departments. Ministers are responsible for policy, for legislation for political appointments, for all those things. It's the Sec-Gen who's responsible for staff matters and personnel matters within departments.
"And that's a division that's there for a very good reason. You know, you wouldn't want politicians or ministers promoting a demoting civil servants for political reasons. So that's why that separation exists. But inevitably, in the real world of politics, these things always come back on the minister and politicians."