He has been on leave since July.

Dr Tony Holohan is expected to return to his role as Chief Medical Officer next week. Dr Holohan had been on leave since earlier this summer to care for his sick wife who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. According to The Irish Times, sources have said that Dr Holohan will resume his role as CMO next week, taking over from acting CMO Dr Ronan Glynn. Dr Holohan stepped away from his duties in July, stating that he would be spending time with his family and caring for wife Emer. "My wife Emer was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in 2012," he said at the time. "She has had a number of difficult years with her disease and was admitted for palliative care last Saturday, and I now want to give my energy and attention and all of my time to Emer and to our two teenage children Clodagh and Ronan." He added that he hoped the country would continue to "stay vigilant, keep our social distance, and take personal responsibility for our own health." Dr Holohan became a household name at the beginning of the pandemic, offering rational words of support when the country was introducing its toughest lockdown measures. Sources believe that his return could lead to tighter restrictions in areas of the country where Covid-19 levels are increasing.