Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not realise I would only have four minutes. At a time when the Government is driving efficiencies across the health sector, it is important for insurance companies to step up to the mark, especially with regard to sharing resources. We can see what is happening on a cross-Border basis in Altnagelvin in Derry, where there will be a €19 million investment by the Government for a shared double linear accelerator radiotherapy centre for the people in the north west. The Government is working on a shared basis and trying to drive down its cost so there must be some sort of replication in the insurance sector.

How does private health insurance cover work when we will work on a shared basis between North and South? There will be a similar process in paediatric care, where the Minister is working closely with Mr. Edwin Poots, MLA, his counterpart in Belfast, with respect to shared paediatric services. Crumlin is a possible location to treat children with special difficulties. We must have a conversation on how health insurance companies will work on a cross-Border basis.

Tied to this is the issue of the patient mobility directive, which will be transposed into law in October this year. It is almost like a liberalisation of health services throughout the European Union, with patients in this State having the possibility of utilising services in other states or jurisdictions.

We need to have a conversation on how that will work and the nature of the involvement of the health insurance companies with regard to private patients. Will it just be for the public system?

The next issue I wish to raise is close to the heart of the Acting Chairman, Deputy Charlie McConalogue. I refer to regional status for Letterkenny General Hospital, which is bringing an increasing number of people through its door. The hospital is carrying out many more procedures than it used to and the workload of consultants in the hospital is increasing by the month. More patients from outside County Donegal are attending and the hospital is becoming quite a success story. At present, the extra footfall is not being rewarded although this is the aspiration of the Minister, which I acknowledge. A hospital such as that in Letterkenny should not be discriminated against because it does not have regional status.

There is an excellent MRI scanning system in Letterkenny General Hospital. The VHI, however, does not have a reimbursement scheme in place for it. It does have a scheme for Sligo hospital, which has similar services. There are excellent facilities in both hospitals but the VHI does not have a reimbursement scheme with the one in Letterkenny. Will the Minister ask the VHI why no such scheme is in place? Can one be put in place? If so, let us do so.

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