Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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1252. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the State's bid to host the European Medicines Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38662/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On 31 July 2017, Ireland officially submitted its proposal for Dublin to be the new host city of the European Medicines Agency to the European Council and the European Commission. The bid was developed by a cross-sectoral working group, led by my Department, with colleagues from the Department of the Taoiseach and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as representatives from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), IDA Ireland and other Government Departments.

Whole-of-Government support is a key factor in the bid in order to provide confidence to the EMA and its staff that the work of the Agency will be protected during and after transition, and that staff will be assisted in relocating to Dublin. The Government has shown its commitment to the proposal by offering financial support and a family relocation package, a commitment to provide office space for an advance party from the EMA and a dedicated transition team to work with them in the relocation process.

I firmly believe that the proposal meets the criteria agreed by the Council. Relocation of the EMA to Dublin provides the best opportunity to main business continuity of the Agency and provides the best option for the staff and their families.

Dublin offers an unmatched opportunity as the new seat of the EMA. Dublin has excellent air connectivity with EU capitals and internationally to serve the needs of the 30,000 visitors per annum hosted by the Agency. The bid identified three high-quality office locations which are within a short distance of both the airport and the city centre. Dublin has all the amenities of a modern capital city and is an open, safe, friendly multicultural environment with excellent educational and employment opportunities.

Dublin provides the EMA with a politically stable environment and Irish public support for the EU remains very high. As a member of the Eurozone, Ireland also offers the EMA and the EU budgetary certainty, free from the threat of currency fluctuations.

Ireland’s national medicines agency, the HPRA, is highly regarded. It already provides significant support to the EMA and this can be rapidly scaled up in the event of relocation.

I have at all times maintained that the core of our proposal is continuation of the EMA’s work and that Dublin can successfully facilitate the EMA’s relocation. Since submitting the proposal, the working group has continued to promote Dublin as the ideal location for the Agency.

The final decision on the EMA’s new location will be taken at the General Affairs Council (Art. 50) in November. The Minister for Foreign Affairs will lead a diplomatic campaign to promote the Dublin bid across all Member States in the interim. I will also continue to hold bilateral meetings with EU colleagues.

Officials in my Department will continue to work in close co-operation with their colleagues in the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the strategy to promote the bid and demonstrate why we feel Dublin represents the best choice for the EMA, for Europe and for its citizens.