Mr. Jim Breslin:

There are significant supply routes directly from the Continent into Ireland, with shipping companies coming into Dublin Port and shipping coming into Rosslare. They are well-established routes. There is capacity on those routes.

Something Dr. Nolan referred to was the modification of supply chains that has already taken place by pharmaceutical companies. Some of them will, depending on the nature of the product, find it just as realistic to come directly into Ireland and will have modified their supply chain and be doing that now. Others will be keeping it under review. There are particular products that are not relevant to that, particularly products that are sourced from and originate in the UK.

There is substantial shipping capacity to come direct from the Continent. It adds approximately 20 hours to the journey and it is an issue in terms of the product. If one hears the discussion being held on a wider basis, there are certain perishable products - I am not talking about medicines or medical devices - where those 20 hours are a challenge. In general, once one adds 20 hours, one is adding cost because one will need a driver for longer. For pharmaceuticals and medical devices, which often are reasonably high-value products, that route exists. Companies have already made the change or will consider the change in the event of Brexit fallout.