Mr. Cathal Mallaghan:

I thank Professor Heenan and Professor Matthews for their presentation and answers to the questions so far. Professor Heenan probably already touched on this briefly, but I want to follow up on the likelihood of patients in the North frequenting their GP practices more often than those in the South. We know there is a barrier there in terms of payment, but it is also reflected whenever we see accident and emergency appointments, where the population is three times greater in the South, but we only have double the amount of people attending accident and emergency. I would like to hear the witnesses' thoughts around that and what difference it has made, particularly when life outcomes in the South are two years greater.

I also wish to hear their views about the fact that there has been no paediatric pathology service in the North for seven years. Diseased children are instead sent to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. It is terrible that the commitment given to establish an all-island paediatric pathology service has not moved forward yet in any way.

On a brighter note, the fire and rescue service's learning and development college, LDC, opened in Cookstown recently. While that is a Department of Health issue in the North, it sits elsewhere in the South. The opportunity now exists for an all-Ireland centre of excellence for fire and rescue services. While there has been some disappointment with the lack of progress in certain aspects of our healthcare, at least this is one silver lining where things are improving.