Ms Michelle Gildernew:

I thank everybody attending the committee today for an informative debate, and I thank the witnesses for their informative and important presentations. I, too, pay tribute to the late Professor Patrick Johnson. He was a great man and I was lucky enough to meet him. I attended one of the events in Washington in 2007 that focused on the work that was done back then, and the work that has been done has been pioneering. As has been said, the Good Friday Agreement and its health element have been transformative. We are very grateful that Ms Bairbre de Brún showed leadership as the Minister of Health in the first Executive and made decisions to develop all-Ireland structures. It is a pity we have not got more structures because one can see from the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Area Hospital and children's paediatric heart services that co-operation is the best way to develop world-class services for our people across the island of Ireland.

I am very interested in the genetic work and all of the other research. The situation has immeasurably changed on the island of Ireland with Brexit and Covid, so we will look to develop services across the island and there is now an appetite to develop an all-island health service. In terms of the work they have done over the past 20 years, what can the witnesses do to advise and shape the future of an all-Ireland model in terms of cancer and across the board? To what extent do they think their work, which has been done on an all-Ireland basis, in conjunction with the United States, has been transformative and has led the way? We will look at that example in the future. Will the witnesses give us a wee insight into that and how they can see that developing in the future?