Substantial funding for a proposed move by former Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College last year by-passed all the accepted protocols, an independent report has concluded.
Dr Holohan ultimately did not take up the role following political controversy about the research position that was set to run until 2032.
Last April, RTÉ News revealed that the post was to be an open-ended secondment, funded by the Department of Health via the Heath Research Board, and that the post was created by TCD with Dr Holohan in mind and was not put out to open competition.
The appointment was to be as Professor of Public Health Strategy and Leadership.
The report found that Dr Holohan should not have been "exclusively personally involved in the negotiation of research funding linked to his possible secondment".
It said that there was no detail available as to how the funding commitment of €2m annually, which was agreed by the the Secretary General at the Department of Health, was determined.
It found that the funding mechanism and the absence of detail did not meet the accepted norms of scrutiny, transparency and accountability.
The review described the funding "commitment" to Trinity College Dublin as unusual and outside regular processes.
There was also a lack of formal consultation with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health, the Government and the Department of Public Expenditure throughout the process.
The report said that more time was needed to consider this unusual proposed secondment because the short timeline involved meant that decisions were being made in a reactive manner rather than in a reflective manner.
In a statement, Dr Holohan said he welcomed the publication of the report.
He said: "When I sought to move from my role as CMO to a professorship in public health, it was at all times with the full knowledge and support of the Secretaries General at the Department of Health and the Department of Taoiseach.
"Formal engagement with universities on the proposal only happened after receiving support and approval from the Secretary General of the Department of Health."
Dr Holohan said he regrets that a "valuable opportunity to benefit the future of Ireland's public health has been lost", but he is "grateful that the report confirms that the engagement of both universities with the process was beyond reproach".
He added that he remains "passionately committed to the involvement in public health" and continues to seek opportunities related to his field of expertise "in Ireland and aboard".
The review was commissioned in April last year and conducted by Maura Quinn, a former chief executive of the Institute of Directors.
Her report was submitted to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly last June.
After controversy arose over the issue, then taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was unaware of the details of the arrangements.
Leo Varadkar, then tánaiste, said the nature of the post should have been made clear at the outset and that it could have been handled better.
Later, Dr Holohan decided that he would not proceed with the secondment and would retire as chief medical officer from 1 July last.
