Republic's chief medical officer to step down

Dr Tony Holohan is to step down as the chief medical officer in the Republic of Ireland, according to RTÉ.

He will take up a new position as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Holohan chaired the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) during the Covid-19 pandemic, which provided advice to the government.

He said it had been a "great privilege" to have been involved in "issues of great importance".

He paid tribute to those who he had worked alongside during the pandemic, saying he had witnessed the "dedication of colleagues to protecting the health and wellbeing of people across Ireland".

Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin thanked Dr Holohan for "more than two decades of outstanding and dedicated service to the people of Ireland in the field of public health".

"His steadfast assured advice, and willingness to communicate over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly helped save lives, and kept Ireland safe during an exceptionally challenging two years," he added.

Dr Holohan had been due to oversee a monitoring group set up to replace NPHET, which was recently stood down following the lifting of Covid restrictions in the Republic.