Ms Eibhl?n Mulroe:

That is the case. Before Brexit, the cross-border directive allowed people to travel across the Border for help. At the moment, people can travel from the North to the South for treatment if they can pay for it. It is easier to move from South to North because the HSE will cover those costs. It is more difficult to move from North to South. There are patients who are willing to travel. People do not only wish to travel to Belfast. Some might wish to travel to London or patients from London may wish to come to the Republic of Ireland. There is a discrepancy there, for sure. We open trials on both sides of the Border, in the UK and in the rest of Europe. We do not see the borders. However, it becomes tricky. Some of these trials are very niche and sometimes there is no other option for a patient but to travel to a site. I wanted to pick up on that point.

Deputy Brendan Smith asked if we need more people. There are people here. We have heard stories about doctors being trained in Ireland and going elsewhere. They are here, and we train them. It is the same with nurses. The problem relates to career pathways in clinical research for nurses. Very often, they are not on the same career pathway. The same is not true in Belfast. There is a better set-up in Belfast for career pathways for clinical research nurses. That is something we have to challenge. We have clinicians; we just need to bring them back.