Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As I said yesterday, I was not familiar with the arrangements that were arrived at between the Department of Health, the CMO and TCD. I believe the position was created by Trinity College Dublin in terms of pandemic preparedness and public health and, arising from that, there was a secondment arrangement. Again, though, I was not aware of the details of that. I think the Chief Medical Officer has, without question, enormous experience, which would be of benefit to the public health arena, research and so on in terms of the pandemic and preparedness for future pandemics. Of that, there is no doubt. There are joint arrangements between universities and research bodies. My understanding is that the Health Research Board is involved here. I am not fullyau fait with all of the details on it, but many of those are jointly funded.

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