Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The cross-border health care directive may not be commonly known. If a patient who requires a treatment that cannot be provided in this jurisdiction can locate to an institution or doctor that can provide that treatment outside Ireland, the patient is entitled to receive that treatment and have the cost reimbursed by the HSE.

I wish to sow an idea in the Minister's mind. Deputy Kelly asked about the development of urgent treatment centres sitting beside accident and emergency departments. A number of GPs in the mid-west have proposed to the CEO of the UL hospital group the development of urgent-care centres which keep people out of the accident and emergency department, but supply them with an intermediate service between GP out-of-hours and accident and emergency. Deputy Kelly spoke about the huge increase in attendance in University Hospital Limerick - perhaps the modern new accident and emergency department is a victim of its own success.

The Minister can add those questions to his list and I ask him to answer the last tranche of questions.