Mr. Dáire Hughes:

I will start by apologising. I am in Westminster at the minute but would much rather be in the Oireachtas in person with the panel. I thank them all for their presentations, which I have no doubt will heavily inform our work as we move forward.

The outlining of the positives, including the congenital heart disease network, the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin and the research work that is being done, are overwhelmingly positive. They are a legacy of the peace process but are also a tribute to the diligent work being done by healthcare professionals right across the island and to the advocacy of patients. It goes without saying that cross-Border co-operation in the field of healthcare is of benefit to all. It makes sense and there are opportunities for more to be done.

Professor Casey spoke about how measures were taken in his particular field to prevent sick people flying to England for treatment that is available on the island, but we are still doing that, albeit in other fields. While the positives of cross-Border co-operation are a potent argument for continuing and expanding on that, so too are the negatives. I am reminded of the tragic case of Catherine Sherry from County Armagh, who was forced to travel to England for CAR T-cell therapy treatment, which was available on the island of Ireland. It was available in Dublin, but Catherine was forced to travel, which separated her from her family. She tragically passed away separated from her young sons while receiving treatment in London that was available on the island of Ireland. In respect of all-Ireland cancer care and research, that co-ordination and the equal provision of services on an all-Ireland basis is essential. As Ms Gaynor said more eloquently than I ever could, cancer knows no borders.

By way of moving to a couple of questions, it is interesting that the notion of sharing data has re-emerged. This is becoming a recurring theme at this committee. The Institute of Public Health made similar arguments, so I hope that our concluding report will major on this and on the need to take steps to provide better cross-Border sharing of data. It would be useful to know what other services could follow the successful models of the North West Cancer Centre and the congenital heart disease models. What services could use this approach? To think more strategically, how can the two jurisdictions align long-term strategic planning, such as workforce planning, speciality treatment and investment in infrastructure, to support the witnesses' work?