Mr. Derek Tierney:

We have a technical briefing lined up the week after next because the digitisation agenda is not just about the electronic health record. I owe the committee a broader briefing and explanation to understand what digital health actually means. An electronic health record is just one component of our digitisation agenda. We have started pre-market engagement. We have got a great response from the markets, which are coming into Ireland to support our digitisation of health records programme through an electronic health record at a national level. Our next step will be, subject to Government decision, and we are hopeful to get the Government in the next weeks to allow us now to commence the next phase of procurement, short-listing those with credibility, capability and financial standing. Then, we get into what is called a competitive dialogue phase. That will take 12 months because we are talking about a system that will fit the health service for the next decade. We have to very clear - we know what we are asking for and we get what we ask for. Our aim is by 2027 or 2028 to have an agreed standard and configuration we start deploying across the regions.