In May 2018, significant legislation introducing GDPR across all sectors was introduced. To my knowledge, the Department of Health was allowed to introduce separate guidelines around medical research. My information to date is that as we speak effective medical research is now almost impossible and many critical research projects are practically at standstill due to cumbersome and impractical GDPR regulations.

Professor Gerry McElvaney, president of the Irish Academy of Medical Science, has organised a briefing on 25 November in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, which I hope the Minister or his officials will attend. This is a critical area. Without good medical research, developments in life-saving cancer research and so on is put in jeopardy. We need to grapple with this issue immediately otherwise lives will be put in danger.

I thank Deputy Brassil for raising the matter and for his expertise, knowledge and interest in this area. I know Professor McElvaney personally and I would be very happy to meet him on the matter. I will also ensure representation from my Department at the briefing in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. We will work constructively to address any issues that need to be overcome.