Mr. Jim Breslin:

Part of the rationale here is the common travel area, which provides that we are completely fluid in how people and labour move around. We have such historic links between us in that regard that we have to put an overarching set of entitlements in place. There is no point in telling someone they have a historic right to work in another country if, when they work there and need healthcare, they are not covered for that. The common travel area has always covered not just people's ability to work but also the social security that goes with it. It is through those mechanisms that we will seek to do that. The cross-border directive is probably going to be an extra bit. In the heads of the Bill, we have signalled our intention that we would like to provide for it. We will have to work it through with the Oireachtas as the legislation goes through the Houses.