Mr. Jim Breslin:

Yes. I can ask my colleagues to talk about the detail. On foot of the legislation passed earlier this year, we have an agreement in train with the United Kingdom to facilitate using the common travel area to ensure the kind of reciprocation we currently enjoy.

On the treatment abroad scheme, we sent 590 patients to the United Kingdom in 2018. We sent just 73 to European locations outside the United Kingdom. The patients were predominantly sent to England. Of the 590, only 37 went to Northern Ireland. The patients generally go for specialist treatment. We have an understanding at the highest levels that both countries are committed to continuing with the arrangement. The HSE has individual relationships with the particular service providers that are delivering the services. They have reinforced that in the run-up to Brexit as part of our preparations for it.

The Deputy will also be interested in cross-border treatment. In 2018, 6,308 patients went to the United Kingdom on a provisional basis under the cross-border directive. Just 420 went to locations in Europe outside the United Kingdom, with approximately half going to Poland. Of the 6,308 patients, the majority went to Northern Ireland, for ophthalmic and orthopaedic treatment and so on. As part of our arrangements with the United Kingdom authorities, we have signalled that we wish to continue with that, and we have provided for it in the legislation. The authorities are happy to facilitate us in that regard.