Mr. Jim Breslin:

No. The tariff issue does not arise. On other issues, we have contractual relationships and are a customer in that situation. It is more a question of where a problem will arise that will not be of anybody's intentional making. For example, there has been a lot of discussion about the fact that products may not be able to get through the Dover Strait, certainly within current timelines. However, the products about which we are talking which are coming from England are not subject to being brought through the Dover Strait. They will come via the Irish Sea. They may be coming from Holyhead or Liverpool. There will be other ports available too such as Pembroke, Fishguard and so on. There is more than one route into Ireland and products that originate in the United Kingdom will not have to come through the Dover Strait. If the issue of the Dover Strait were to persist for a significant period, supply through that route would become an issue. The Chair has made reference to this matter. In that situation people would look to divert and not come through the Dover Strait but instead come directly into the country. The short shelf-life products, the particular products on which we are touching, are not subject to that risk. While there is a risk related to the Dover Strait, it concerns other categories of product.

To be comprehensive, in her opening statement Dr. Nolan talked about radiopharmaceuticals. They are a category 1 product in our critical assessment exercise. We have investigated fully the supply chain, which is by air freight into East Midlands Airport where the UK stock of radiopharmaceuticals is taken off and from where the Irish stock transits to Ireland, again by air freight. The detailed discussions with the logistics and supply companies on the continued resilience of that route are really important, but it is not a Dover Strait issue. That issue does not affect that product, but, as set out in the opening statement, we have to be alive to it.