Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Please note that these proceedings will be carried on Saorview, channel 22, Virgin Media, channel 207, Eir Vision, channel 504, and other channels, which I will not read out.

I warmly welcome our European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Mr. Vytenis Andriukaitis, to this meeting. It is an honour to have him here and I thank him very much for attending. The Commissioner is accompanied by Ms Vilija Sysaite, Mr. Marco Valletta, members of the Commissioner's cabinet, Mr. Gerry Kiely, head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, and Ms Paola Colombo, director of DG SANTE, food and veterinary office. Members of the health committee are joined by some members of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Joint Committee on European Affairs. Midday is an unusual time for our meeting, so we hope our other members will arrive.

I invite Commissioner Andriukaitis to make his opening statement. We asked that he might address particular issues including EU procedures for the purchase of drugs and pharmaceuticals; arrangements for cross-border health care, particularly for Ireland in the aftermath of Brexit; medical research and developments in health care; and the EU Commission position on the uptake of vaccinations. I understand the Commissioner may also speak about veterinary, agriculture and food matters.