DR EMER HOLOHAN, the wife of the Chief Medical Officer, has died.

She had been receiving palliative care since last year after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in 2012.

She passed away at Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross, Dublin in the company of her husband and their two children Clodagh and Ronan.

Her funeral will take place at St Pius X Church in Templeogue next Monday at 12.30pm, and will be streamed online due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Details of her illness became public last year, when the Chief Medical Officer took a number of months off from July to spend time with his family.

He returned to work in October, but has been on leave again recently.

In a statement Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the government’s thoughts were with the Holohan family.

“Dr Emer Holohan made a significant contribution to the health service, including her work on the health strategy when I was Minister for Health,” he said.

“Tony and his entire family have given so much to this country since the start of the pandemic.

“At this time, I would ask for as much space and privacy to be given to them as possible.”

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has also extended his condolences to the Chief Medical Officer and his family.

“The thoughts and prayers of Tony’s colleagues in the Department of Health are with Emer’s family, including her parents, siblings, and her friends, as indeed are those of many people across the country.”

“I would like to reiterate the request for the privacy of the family to be respected at this time.”

Opposition leaders, including Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald and Labour’s Alan Kelly, also expressed their condolences to the CMO and his family.