Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. O'Connell for a very comprehensive presentation and for setting out all the issues and the way the HSE is approaching it. Dr. O'Connell gave the figures for 2012 up to 2014. There is a substantial increase. Could he clarify whether he sees a further increase over the next two to three years or whether he thinks it has levelled out in respect of the numbers who will be seeking the assistance of the HSE?

The second issue is the economic assessment of working with medical providers abroad. In his presentation, Dr. O'Connell set out where the HSE has looked at this and decided that this is the best way of approaching it. Is the HSE looking at other areas where it is more cost-effective to link up with institutions abroad rather than try to develop a service here? I know there would be a number of areas where that would happen. Is an overall review taking place in respect of that? Medicine is getting specialised within each different area. There might be four people specialising in a particular area between Ireland and the UK. Have we looked at that in an overall context?

The third issue I wish to raise concerns the cross-border health care directive issued in February 2011. We have gone beyond 30 months for transposing it into Irish law and this directive must be transposed. Does Dr. O'Connell see issues we need to start planning for when that is transposed to make sure we have a comprehensive way of managing that issue in respect of cross-border health care and the right of people to travel to another jurisdiction to get treatment not only if it is not available here, but also where there is undue delay in getting the treatment here?

Could we examine this? I realise I am straying slightly from the subject matter of the presentation this morning but believe we need to examine this in our long-term planning.