Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation from the Department and I thank Ms Nic Aongusa and Mr. Barron for their presentations. I agree with Deputy Conlan in regard to the need to improve practical co-operation on a daily basis. Over the years there has been the provision of services by Omagh hospital for Monaghan and a dialysis service from Daisy Hill Hospital for patients in County Louth in particular. That is welcome. The Co-operation and Working Together, CAWT, agreement of July 1992 was the first formal partnership and although there has been co-operation, there should be additional momentum.

For those of us living in the Border area in particular, we are fortunate that a very capable hospital has just been built in Enniskillen. The last time I was there I saw that the potential of the hospital has not yet been maximised. If we take the area of Monaghan, Cavan, Enniskillen and Sligo, there is surely a need to deliver services in the area based on a cross-Border context. If there are additional services or new facilities being provided, does the Department or the HSE consult with bodies or account for the needs of health services in the North? We should not provide additional services or new facilities, such as physical infrastructure, on the basis of just catering for our own population in the immediate catchment area. We must factor in the needs of the patients in the North, where such services are also lacking. I hope that in the context of Sligo, Enniskillen, Cavan and Monaghan, we will maximise the potential of the Enniskillen hospital. Services should be provided in the North and South, and I hope the very dramatically improved relationship between North and South will help provide the needed momentum in the health care area.

Mr. Barron mentioned that the aim is to have the necessary statutory provisions in place before the end of the first quarter. Does this mean they will be operational from the end of the first quarter or is a commencement order needed? Has this directive been transposed into law in many member states? Is it only applicable where a resident of a member state that has already transposed it into law is seeking a service in another member state that has transposed the directive into law?