Prof Aidan Halligan, who will not now take up the post of chief executive of the Health Services Executive, will "probably get" the top job in Britain's health service, according to the Taoiseach, reports Marie O'Halloran.
Mr Ahern insisted there would be "no loss of momentum in the reform programme" for Ireland's health services with the decision of the deputy chief medical officer of the UK Department of Health not to take up the position at the new health authority.
He stressed that in the proposed reform programme "nobody will lose their position or have their conditions changed. That was made clear from the outset".
But he told Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) that Prof Halligan, who is also director of clinical governance for the National Health Service, "has opted to stay in the health services in Britain. It is his decision and I respect it."
The Taoiseach said that "it was well known that Prof Halligan was probably coming here, although it was generally expected in the medical business in the UK that he would have got the top job there. He had agreed and signed up but, on reflection, he decided to stay in the UK for family reasons. That is his purpose. I wish him well in the top job in the UK, which he will probably get."
Prof Halligan was due to start at the end of January, when the new authority was to take over responsibility for the day-to-day running of the health service. Mr Ahern said he had not spoken to him so "I cannot give precise details" of the circumstances surrounding his decision.
But he pointed out that the Government "had been in negotiation with him during the summer about conditions, moving and related issues. We had finalised a very satisfactory package."
Mr Ó Caoláin said the message this decision sent out was worrying. He added that the "disgruntlement" among the 25,000 Impact trade unionists who were instructed not to participate in briefings organised by the HSE was a "result of the failure to properly explain to and engage with the union and its membership".
Insisting that there would be "no loss of momentum" in the reform programme, Mr Ahern said the HSE reforms were clearly set out. There had been an "enormous round of discussions" with various reports by consultants, and "now we will implement them. Of course, change creates problems and difficulties but with the goodwill of everybody, we will have a better service that will help individual patients."
He added that "interviews for the second tier of management (in the HSE) are completed and announcements about that level of senior management will be made".