Mr. Muiris O'Connor:

Yes, we have probed it and officials in the Department of Education and Skills are also in direct contact with their counterparts involved in higher education and research and with reference to Horizon 2020. We have examined our exposure in terms of the number of projects in which we are involved and the number of consortia led by the United Kingdom or in which it is involved. The connections are extensive. There is an opportunity for Ireland in the sense that some grants are mobile and if the principal investigator was to relocate, the money would also move. That is one of the few chinks of light in the context of Brexit, but we would not want to lose our engagement with the United Kingdom. Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board are proactive in seeking to maintain the links with it.

Ireland is very strong in the pharma industry on the back of the multinational base. As regards our competitors, I would have to look at the figures again, but I think the Netherlands is also very strong, as are some of the Nordic countries and Germany. We will keep an eye on that issue.

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Seanadóir Niall Ó Donnghaile as a cheisteanna. He is correct in what he says about health inputs. I do not know what people expected initially when Brexit was a theoretical concept, but health issues have really acted as a reality check.