Mr. Conor Geraghty:

A certain amount of prescription products have always leaked in from the North, even before antiemetics came into use. We have had a small number of complaints over the years. We bring them to the Department, which has a role in dealing with complaints. We know that there are plenty of sources of illegal product. I am not talking about the North but about markets and so on where products can be sourced. The vast majority of farmers do not engage in this behaviour because they know the value of being accountable and understand what will happen if they are caught.

I come from a long line of farmers. My father is still farming. Farmers are proud of what they produce and they are conscious that they export 90% of their food. I do not think they will engage in illegal activity for minuscule savings. Looking at the possible savings from reducing the use of product, the reality is that farmers will stand to gain much more by being shown how to reduce their dependence on product and to use it in a more targeted way. I do not think there will be a huge issue with the Border. There have always been a certain number of issues with the Border. When the UK left Europe, there was going to be a two-tier system for many things. We will have to deal with and live with it.