Ms Claire Hanna:

I thank the Chair and those presenting. It is fascinating. I say that as a somebody with very little background in this and not with a science brain. I am interested to hear it.

I echo the comments about the late Paddy Johnston. He was not someone I worked much with directly but he was kind personally to my mum when she was experiencing cancer. She had an aggressive genetic issue. She and seven of her eight siblings were experiencing cancer around the same time. He was helpful in explaining some of the research and stuff around it. He made Belfast go from one of the worst place to be a cancer patient to one of the best places at the time in terms of outcomes. Clearly, his leadership is missed but he has left a legacy there.

We had a briefing, through the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, in the past year about some of the potential. The slant of the presentation was about the North as a research hub and talking about some of the positive conditions around the population size and demography and its suitability and maybe some of the ecosystem around between life sciences and commercial research and development, as well as academics and the potential. However, I have read more recently that in the North we have the lowest spend on research and development. Does this partnership help to build up and maximise that capacity?

I echo Deputy Brendan Smith's questions, which were along the lines of those I was going to ask about the public liaison part of it and the communication. In this frightening world where it seems like there is a new existential threat to worry about every day, whether health, geopolitical or whatever, sometimes it can be assuring, particularly as cancer rates rise, that science is winning lots of these battles and is making big breakthroughs and improving diagnosis and care. What opportunities do our guests get to sing about the successes?

I wanted to ask a technical question as well about whether there are discrepancies, North and South, in terms of trials people can get access to. Do we have scenarios where people on one side of the Border or other may be able to access treatment but cannot because of the health system they are under? I had encountered cases in the past where services, not cancer but transplant guidances, are different North and South. I am sure there are good clinical reasons for the guidance that the respective health Departments issue but it can be demoralising for people.

I would also ask about that issue that Deputy Brendan Smith touched on around workforce planning. If I am hearing the panel correctly, their main infrastructure is people in terms of clinicians. Are we adequately training and is the qualifications regime etc. sufficient for people to move fairly seamlessly between institutions, North and South?

Apologies, there is a pile of questions. They may decide who would like to take which. I thank the panel again for the presentation.