Mr. Joe O'Flaherty:

We would look at Brexit with some concern. We share the general view that there are a lot of unknowns out there and that we are still in a fairly fluid situation. One potential cause of concern would be a divergence of the regulatory standards on the two sides of the Border. As we with diseases that initially were non-regulated, though BVD now is a regulated disease, we operate somewhat outside of the regulatory framework, but it is still important and it still guides us. In terms of mitigating that risk, Animal Health Ireland will certainly continue to work very closely with our colleagues in Animal Health and Welfare Northern Ireland. I was interested to hear a comment from one of the earlier contributors regarding to all-island bodies that might address these issues on an all-island basis.

One could not discount such a development in the future and it would certainly have merit in terms of maximising resource use. It is a conversation that has not progressed to date, however. We are very conscious of the risks posed by Brexit, particularly in respect of the issue of divergence of standards.