It has been confirmed this morning that Secretary General of the Department of Health, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin, is to step down from his role and move to the Healthy Ireland initiative.
He had been due to retire next year, and will leave his post as soon as a new Secretary General is found.
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has issued the following statement:
The move was agreed by the Minister and the Secretary General in the context of his decision to retire in June 2015, after 40 years of service.
Varadkar said McLoughlin had “piloted the department through one of the most challenging periods for the health sector.”
For his part, McLoughlin said: “It has been a privilege to serve as Secretary General in the Department of Health and I am very proud to take up this new role.”
He had faced strong criticism in some parts for his role in managing the Health Department in general, and over controversies regarding discretionary medical cards, and HSE overspending, in particular.
Earlier this summer, Public Accounts Committee Chair John McGuinness called on McLoughlin to step down, telling him and HSE director general Tony O’ Brien “on all of the major fronts you have failed.”
Just six months into the job, Fíanna Fáil TD Seán Fleming called on McLoughlin to resign, labelling him a “disgrace as a public official” during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.
McLoughlin has occupied the top job in the department since April 2012, when he replaced Michael Scanlan.
*Secretary General of the Department of Health Ambrose McLoughlin is to step down from his role shortly, RTÉ News has learned.
Dr McLoughlin was appointed as Secretary General in April 2012.
He will continue until a successor is appointed by the Government.
Dr McLoughlin is steppping down for personal reasons.
Next year he will have been in the public service for 40 years.
Among the key areas he was involved in at the department were moves to improve the retention and training of doctors, the development of hospital groups and reference pricing to bring down the cost of medicines.
He will move to a new role supporting the Healthy Ireland initiative.
Dr McLoughln was previously Chief Executive of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and was CEO of the North Eastern Health Board.
From January next year the Department of Health takes back the accounting officer role from the HSE, which means it will have direct responsibility for all spending and resume its accountability role that existed up to 2004.
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Dr McLoughlin saying he looks forward to continuing to work closely with Dr McLoughlin in his new role.
He said he expects to rely on his counsel and advice into the future.
Mr Varadkar said Dr McLouhglin's "extensive experience in the health arena will provide invaluable insight and guidance in progressing the achievement of the goals set out in the Healthy Ireland framework"..
Dr McLoughlin said it has been a privilege to serve as Secretary General in the Department of Health and he is "very proud to take up this new role".
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