The CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid, has announced that he is stepping down from his position at the end of the year.

Mr Reid was appointed CEO in June 2019 and he will step down in December “facilitating a period to advance the process of selecting a successor”, the HSE said.

In a message to staff, Mr Reid said that this was the hardest decision he had ever made in relation to his own career and he had made it with a heavy heart.

“Having previously worked in the private, not for profit, central and local government sectors, working in the HSE has been by far the greatest period in my career. It has been truly rewarding leading an organisation whose staff come to work every day to make people’s lives better.

“No organisation will ever match the commitment, dedication and relentless willingness to go beyond the call of duty that I have witnessed as we battled multiple waves of Covid, a criminal cyber attack while driving a significant reform agenda. This has been truly inspirational for me to experience,” he said.

Mr Reid insisted that his decision was influenced by two key factors - a desire to spend more time with his family and a belief that the HSE was entering a new phase and that the appointment of a new leader was now timely.

He added that he has no immediate career plans.

Responding to the news, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, said that since his appointment in 2019, Mr Reid has “provided exemplary leadership to the HSE”.

“He has led Ireland’s health service through some of its most difficult days and has done so with dedication and professionalism. Throughout the pandemic, Paul played a critical role in leading Ireland’s response to the greatest health emergency of our times.  

“He leaves behind him an organisation much enhanced for his time as chief executive and one that is already making real progress in implementing reform and improvement across many aspects of healthcare provision,” Mr Donnelly said.