Dr. Tony Holohan:

I have made my personal situation clear. My ambition was to stay in the public service, to stay committed to the whole objective and ideals of public health, but just working in a different role, bringing what knowledge and expertise I might have or might have gained from the role that I previously held not just in the course of the pandemic but over the previous 15 years. That was my motivation. As I said, when I saw the way that this was unfolding, what I did not want to do was to hang on and to continue to perpetuate that. I am not suggesting that I was in a position to exercise control over how this would play out, but insofar as that was a factor that I would make a clear decision and make that decision quickly and early. That is what I did.