First, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I also thank Maura Quinn for her report, which is welcome. The Government, in its entirety, accepts without reservation the recommendations of Maura Quinn in respect of this entire issue and also in respect of the broader issue of secondment within the public service and the Civil Service in particular. There are issues around the secondment policy area and we need to be stronger in identifying pathways for those who may, for example, have retired early as a Secretary General or, in this case, as a Chief Medical Officer but who still have a lot of expertise. How does one deploy that expertise across the public service and the Civil Service in a more effective way than merely secondments to a university? By the way, a secondment to a university can be beneficial.

I think people overall, when we stand back from this, were acting in good faith insofar as the idea of developing a stronger capacity in research for public health. I have no issue with that. I think everybody also was conscious of the role Dr. Tony Holohan had played as Chief Medical Officer in respect of the pandemic but, again, that does not in itself justify or in any way support the process here or what transpired. I think Maura Quinn is correct about how, in this instance, it should have happened and particularly in terms of individuals engaging in respect of their own situations with third parties. Ultimately, we need to capture the experience and expertise that people garnered over the two and a half years of Covid.

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