Ms Hazel Sheridan:

No problem; it is a hard job keeping track of all the hands being up.

Senator Wall asked about the 24-hour requirement, which is basically an SPS requirement to provide advance warning to us that a load is on its way, which allows us to make preparations. It is a really important component. Generally, people know more than 24 hours in advance that they will be sending a load. They might not have all the information available, which is not a problem so long as they tell us that the load is on its way. It allows us to do some preparatory work, which will speed up the passage of the truck through the port. I hope that provides some clarification about what that is. It is really in the interests of businesses to do that.

I wish to pick up on two other aspects. Senator Gallagher asked how things were going and whether businesses were up to speed. From an SPS and Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine perspective, considerable improvement has been made since the early days but we should not underestimate the complexity of the requirements. In an SPS context, the requirement for each commodity is different. The requirements are incredibly complex and it is not easy for businesses to get their heads around them, nor is it easy for them to adjust complex supply chains.

We are giving messages on a regular basis and the first is that people need to be familiar with the requirements. Many resources are available and we really encourage people, now that they are actually involved in the activity, to re-engage with those resources to ensure that they understand all the detail. There is a lot of detail to take on board.

We find the trucks are getting delayed because people are just missing one element of the process. A big problem we notice is errors on certification. If I could send any message to businesses, it would be to give attention to the detail on the certification. If there are problems with it, that will cause trucks to be delayed at the port. If that happens during the night or at weekends when there is not ready access to the customs agents or to the businesses on the UK side, it can cause substantial delays. It is really important for people to pay very close attention to the requirements of the certificates and ensure that they are completed.

We also see room for improvement on the communications between various players. It is quite a complex arrangement. There is the truck driver driving the truck, a haulage company behind that, a customs agent, the importer and the exporter supplying all the documentation. Very good communication between all those people is required for the system to work seamlessly. At the moment that does not always work, which leads to delays for the trucks in the port.

My colleague, Ms Byrne, will speak about co-operation. At a technical SPS level, we have been able to re-establish the kind of relationship we had with the UK prior to the Brexit vote, which is a very positive development. We always had very good relationships with our colleagues in the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. Now that the UK is outside the EU and the deals have been done, it is now possible for us to sit down and work. We find that an excellent way of improving understanding and resolving problems.

I am sure Ms Byrne will add to that.