Mr. Joe Hanly:

There are approximately 170 member states to the WHO. The negotiations are done in regional blocs. Ireland is part of the European bloc and within that there is a EU subgroup. In the negotiating room, as it were, the EU speaks on behalf of all member states. The participants comprise two officials from the Department of Health and there are also officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the permanent representative and the ambassador, who very closely watch it. They get the copies of the text, the amendments, and there are discussions and side meetings as well but in the negotiation room, it is the lead person from the group who speaks on behalf of the group.