The Tánaiste has said nobody in Government is happy with the handling of Dr Tony Holohan's secondment to Trinity College.
The process has been paused pending a review from the Department of Health, according to the Taoiseach.
Another political debacle over a senior appointment has left many in Government wondering why no lessons were learned from the Katherine Zappone saga.
The secondment of Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to a new role as a Professor at Trinity College has been paused, pending a review of how it was awarded and why the State is paying for it:
"There has to be transparency, there has to be good process and procedure.
"I don't see this as a human resource issue or a personnel issue in its own right."
Taoiseach Micheál Martin clearly unhappy, as is Tánaiste Leo Varadkar:
"Nobody in Government is happy about this, because even though we weren't involved in this in any way inevitably it does reflect on us - we are the politicians in charge.
"That's why the Taoiseach took the decision to pause the appointment."
But Sinn Féin's Health Spokesman David Cullinane says even though Stephen Donnelly wasn't directly involved, he has questions to answer:
"Rather than asking the questions and doing what the Taoiseach has now done and pausing the process, he [Minister Donnelly] seemed to be praising what was happening, and that wasn't the right course of action.
That report and reassessment into the role is expected before a meeting of Government party leaders on Monday.
