Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding Ireland’s bid to host the European Medicines Agency. [44897/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The European Medicines Agency, which is currently located in London, will have to move to another location within the EU when the UK leaves the Union.

On 31 July 2017, Ireland officially submitted its proposals for Dublin to be the new host city of the EMA to the European Council and 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, IDA Ireland and other Government Departments and agencies.

Since its submission, promotion of the Dublin bid has continued at political and diplomatic levels. Our bid has been promoted by our EU missions as well as at Ministerial level by myself and my colleagues. In addition, officials from my Department have held a series of bilateral engagements to promote our bid with different Member States over the last number of weeks to discuss and promote the respective bids.

There is strong competition from 18 other Member States to act as host, which reflects the prestige and opportunity provided by becoming the new home of the EMA.

The vote on the agency’s new location will be taken at the General Affairs Council (Art. 50) on 20 November. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, will represent Ireland at this meeting.