Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said he will not proceed with his Trinity College secondment and will retire as Chief Medical Officer from 1 July.
In a statement released this afternoon, Dr Holohan said he did not wish to see the controversy of the past few days continue.
"In particular, I wish to avoid any further unnecessary distraction that this has caused to our senior politicians and civil servants," he said.
He added: "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.
"In this regard, I would like to thank Trinity College and the Provost for their foresight and support in establishing this role.
"Following my departure, I look forward to sharing my knowledge and expertise outside of the public service."
Last month, it had been announced that Dr Holohan would stand down as Chief Medical Officer to take up the position of Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership at the college.
Controversy developed when it emerged that it was an open-ended secondment, which the Department of Health would fund at the outgoing CMO's annual salary.
It has emerged the Board of Trinity College was informed last month about the creation of a new role of Professor of Public Health Strategy, but not that advanced negotiations were under way with Dr Holohan.
The meeting took place on Wednesday 23 March, and members were told about the creation of a new interdisciplinary chair, the logic behind the position, but not who was being lined-up for the job.
A TCD spokesperson said the Board does not approve individual appointments. "It is the role of the interview committee to select the candidate and the Academic Council to approve that selection."
They confirmed that the approval process for Dr Holohan was finalised within 48 hours of the Board's March meeting.
It is understood that the Secretary General of the Department of Taoiseach, Martin Fraser, had a number of confidential conversations with Dr Holohan on his future plans, and was aware he was considering a move to the university sector.
However, Mr Fraser was not aware of the details of the arrangement.
In a statement today, the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Linda Doyle, said Dr Holohan's decision would be "a huge loss for Ireland's education sector".
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Taoiseach Micheál Martin thanked Dr Holohan for his service to the Irish people, while Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said his departure would be a "great loss to public service".
Mr Donnelly said: "I have had the privilege of working alongside Dr Holohan as Minister for Health. He is a hugely committed and dedicated Chief Medical Officer.
"He has provided outstanding service to our nation during an incredibly challenging period. During his time as CMO he also ensured Ireland was at the forefront in introducing legislation designed to reduce cancer incidence. His departure is a great loss to public service."
Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane said Mr Donnelly and Secretary General of his Department Robert Watt have "serious questions to answer" around the processes involved in the secondment.
He added: "The announcement by Dr Holohan that he will no longer take up this position at Trinity College is not surprising given the ongoing concerns around this post."
"It is disappointing that this position, which was a good news story, has become overshadowed by concerns of a lack of transparency around the nature of the position and how it is funded."
The Labour Party's health spokesperson Duncan Smith said the handling the secondment has been "a disaster".
"The CMO will now leave public service, a person uniquely placed to assist in post pandemic learnings.
"Faith and credibility in the leadership of our health service takes another hit," he said.
Social Democrats' health spokesperson Róisín Shortall said it was now clear that Mr Donnelly has "lost control" of his department, and "lacks authority".
She said it was "hugely regrettable" that Dr Holohan "was dragged into a political controversy of the Department of Health's creation" and was now leaving the public service.
