Secretary General of the Department of Health Robert Watt said a new permanent Chief Medical Officer will be appointed over the next few months.
He told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that this will be done based on an open competition. Outgoing Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan announced last month that he is stepping down from his position as CMO to take on a new role as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at TCD.
Mr Watt said Dr Holohan is hoping to contribute very significantly in his new role on public health policy and his contract is of indefinite duration.
Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway said this means the Department of Health could be funding it for the next 20 years and that it was "highly inappropriate." Sinn Féin's Health spokesperson David Cullinane said the new post being taken by Dr Holohan would be really good for Trinity and the State, but if he is still paid by the Department of Health, it can be problematic as a secondment means that a person can return to their post.