Breslin returns to Department of Health as new Secretary General
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has today announced the appointment of Jim Breslin as the new Secretary General of the Department of Health.
Mr Breslin rejoins the Department from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs where he has served as Secretary General for the last three years.
He replaces Dr Ambrose McLoughlin who is moving to a new role leading the implementation of the Healthy Ireland initiative ahead of his retirement next year.
"I am delighted that Jim Breslin has accepted this appointment as Secretary General," said Minister Varadkar.
"He is returning to the Department of Health, where he is highly regarded by his management colleagues and staff alike, at a time of great change for the health service.
"With this change comes significant challenges and I am confident that, under Jim's leadership, the Department can meet these challenges head on and deliver a better health service to the people of Ireland. I look forward to working with him.
" I want to acknowledge the leadership of Dr Ambrose McLoughlin over the past three years and wish him well in his role with Healthy Ireland."
In his career to date, Mr Breslin has worked previously in the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the Department of Finance.
He holds two masters degrees in public administration; one from the Institute of Public Administration/Trinity College Dublin and another from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Director General of the HSE, Tony O'Brien, today welcomed the appointment.
"I welcome warmly the appointment of Jim," he said.
"He comes to the Department of Health with a wealth of experience in healthcare. I look forward to working closely with him over the next number of years with a view to continuously improving the quality of services for our patients and clients."
