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Robert Watt, Interim Secretary General of the Department of Health
Health Department moves to fill Secretary General role
Almost €300,000 salary for new Secretary General sought for Department of Health
A substantive Secretary General is being sought at the Department of Health, at present headed in an interim capacity by Robert Watt who took up the post last week.
In recognition of the unique challenges and “very significant” responsibilities attached to this role, the successful candidate will be offered a salary of €292,000 per annum for a five-year fixed term contract of employment and annual leave allowance of 30 working days a year, among other perks.
The application form says the new secretary-general of the Department of Health must have a particular blend of resilience and flexibility needed to manage the challenges and complexities of the health service.
Resilience is certainly a word those who have dealt with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform secretary-general Robert Watt would use about him. Flexibility less so.
His appointment, albeit on an interim basis for now, as the top civil servant in the Department of Health, has caused some ripples in political as well as civil services circles.
After a decade closely guarding the public purse strings, Watt will now lead the department that is the biggest drain on the public purse.
Tighter Covid-19 curbs on top of Level 5 NPHET tells Government if third wave is not held
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Tighter Covid-19 curbs on contact between people may be necessary on top of the new Level 5 restrictions from New Year s Eve, the National Public Health Emergency Team has advised Government.
The possibility that stricter restrictions might be needed is outlined in a stark letter from NPHET s chairman and the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to the Minister for Health and Government.
It was this letter that gave rise to the Taoiseach announced a second Level 5 with no exceptions for six weeks. The Government has put an initial five-week timeframe on the measures with a review on January 12.
Record number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Donegal
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 150 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Donegal.
That’s almost double the previous biggest single day total – 85 – which was reported yesterday. There have been 828 new cases in Donegal over the past 14-days.
Of the cases notified today;
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66% are under 45 years of age
The median age is 34 years old
358 in Dublin, 164 in Cork, 155 in Louth, 150 in Donegal, 112 in Galway and the remaining 779 cases are spread across all other counties.
As of 2pm today 455 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 37 are in ICU. 60 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.