Dr. Fergal Lynch:

To answer the Chairman's second question first, yes, it will be open under normal procurement rules. It will be a major tender because of the cost involved; so it will be open. It will be open to existing providers who may wish to come together or structure themselves in whatever appropriate way. It will also be open to external providers and so on.

To come to the Chairman's first question, which I think is a very important one, a contract would be awarded for a period of time. That is to be decided. It may be three years, four years or something like that. As that contract is being awarded, there would be a specific arrangement for establishing the new system. This is the first set of arrangements. Given that it is so important that we reform the system now, we wanted to move to this as quickly as we can. Then one can reform a significant component of it and keep those reforms. For example, the appointments, the recruitment system, the structuring of the system and so on can all be improved. The qualifications of the GALs, the protocols by which they would operate all of that will have be improved and the only thing that needs to be changed then is to move it from a service provider to a public entity when that public entity is ready to take it over.