Dr Tony Holohan to take up role in UCD after abandoning Trinity job following salary controversy

Announcing his new position in a post to LinkedIn, he shared: “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Adjunct Full Professor at University College Dublin.”

In a statement, College Principal Professor Cecily Kelleher said: “The appointment of someone of such high calibre and experience in guiding national policy and response to the Covid-19 pandemic will contribute enormously to our future research, education and planning.”

“I greatly look forward to working with him,” she added.

It has been reported that the role with UCD will be unpaid.

It comes after the former CMO abandoned a new role at Trinity College Dublin following controversy over his salary.

He was due to take up the position of Professor of Public Strategy and Leadership but decided not to take up the job after it was revealed the “open-ended secondment” would come with a salary of €187,000 per year, funded by the Department of Health.

The terms of the position also meant that he would keep his public pension.

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In a statement issued by the Department of Health, Dr Holohan said: "I have decided not to proceed with my secondment as Professor of Public Health Leadership and Strategy, Trinity College Dublin.”

"I do not wish to see the controversy of the last few days continuing. In particular, I wish to avoid any further unnecessary distraction that this has caused to our senior politicians and civil servants.

"My strong belief is that this was a significant opportunity to work with the university sector to develop much-needed public health capacity and leadership for the future,” he added.

Dr Holohan left his position as CMO at the start of July after 14 years with the HSE.