Mr. Gerry Kiely:

I will try to answer to the extent I can. I do not have a figure for the stockpile of PPE, and I am not sure anyone does. It is a combination of things from the Commission's perspective, including the provision of money and the setting of standards. Through the mechanism rescEU there is some EU stockpiles organised through member states. Through the Commission, there are framework contracts through which member states can purchase equipment. It is a combination of different actions to ensure an adequate supply of the appropriate equipment. I am not sure a figure exists for any stockpile, and to the extent that there is one around member states, it would be changing. I will look into it and if there is a figure I can come back with, I will do so.

Deputy Howlin mentioned cross-border co-operation. Taking patients from hospital in one country to a hospital in another happened at the peak and is beginning to happen again. That is primarily bilaterally. It is also covered through rescEU. There is also a co-ordination committee involving the institutions in all the member states who probably meet or are in contact daily on co-operation and co-ordination between the institutions and the member states. It is a fluid situation. As people have noted, the EU does not have competence so it is co-operation and co-ordination operation at the moment, which is working very well but it is not ideal.

On the rescEU €750 billion, there are also other funds. This was put in place to help the economies in the context of Covid. It is up to member states what actions they put forward and up to the institutions as to what they would accept would be covered, but there are many other funds. The structural funds have not gone away, nor has the Common Agricultural Policy fund. We are looking down the road in the next month or two to the conclusion of Brexit. Depending on the agreement, or absence thereof, there is a fund of €5 billion. Everyone recognises that if there is an impact from Brexit, Ireland is likely to be impacted more than others. Ireland can tap into that. The €750 billion is additional to all the other funds. If one adds up everything that has been done at EU and member state level in relation to Covid between state aid, monetary easing, funds, the EU budget etc., there is firepower in the order of €3.5 trillion or €4 trillion to deal with Covid and its economic and medical fallout. The GDP is something like €15 trillion. Approximately 20% to 25% of EU's GDP has been put on the table for firepower. Most of that is still a promise, it has not yet gone into the system but it will in the future and will inevitably have a big impact.

Both Deputies mentioned health competence. The Commission does not want to go down that road at the moment. What we must deal with now is the crisis. There is a general acceptance that while co-operation and co-ordination is working very well, the EU needs to have more competence in health. We will have a conference on the future of Europe, hopefully in the next month or two, as soon as there is agreement between the institutions, and inevitably changing competence not only in health but in other areas will be a question for that conference. Treaty change was raised. Ireland is very concerned that there might be treaty change, and it is not alone in that. Plenty can be done without any treaty change. Take decisions on foreign affairs where many thought any decision to move away from unanimity would have to be done by treaty change when it is clear it does not have to be. If there is unanimous agreement it can be done by qualified majority. Treaty change is not inevitable but that is a question for the conference on the future of Europe.

On who is co-ordinating action, that is the Commission but it is doing so in co-operation with the member states. There is a committee and a council. The Deputy spoke of recruitment and staffing. It is not only about staffing but also about the provision of facilities, infrastructure etc., and getting ready for the application of vaccines if and when we have one.

The Commission put forward a health strategy fairly recently that covered many areas, which member states will have to implement. As I stated, €3 billion was put on the table to help the health systems in the member states.

On the establishment of new agencies, the Commission has announced its intention to move forward on that but we are at the very beginning. This month, we will also make proposals with regard to the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to update and adapt them further, although I cannot say what will be in the proposals.