Robinson welcomes derogation

Mr Robinson said,

“From the earliest days of this government, we have been raising Northern Ireland’s access to dental amalgam supplies as a matter of urgency.

Last week, we warned the Northern Ireland Secretary of State that in the absence of a suitable agreement with Brussels, we would not hesitate to draw upon the new mechanisms at our disposal in Stormont to protect our dental sector and its supply chain.

I am glad that commonsense has prevailed and that a durable and workable arrangement has been reached. The safeguards we secured have played a significant role in bringing London and Brussels to this place.

It is now important that the Democratic Scrutiny Committee in Stormont has the time and space to fully explore this derogation. We must ensure that it protects our supply chain and ensures there is no divergence in the dental sector within the United Kingdom.”