Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I take it very seriously, which is why I have had meetings with the Northern Ireland Minister for Health. If we had a Northern Ireland Minister for Health now, I would be able to have another meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister for Health on Brexit. It is being taken very seriously by me and by the Government. We saw the benefit of this being taken seriously by all of Government in the outcome of the European Council negotiating guidelines. That is why I met the Northern Ireland Minister for Health on a number of occasions on Brexit. We had good engagement on that. I have met the UK Secretary of State for Health, Mr. Jeremy Hunt. I have met the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety to discuss Brexit on a number of occasions.

Deputies Kelleher and O'Reilly are correct in pointing out very serious issues affecting health care, just as there are in many other services if we end up with the common travel area being in any way compromised.

That is why the common travel area has been identified as one of the Government's four Brexit priorities. This is of particular relevance to cross-Border health care. The fact that the common travel area has also been referenced as a priority by the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the British Government is a result of our collective work. I do not mean this in a partisan sense. It is a result of all of our work in making sure the common travel area remains. There is absolutely no sleepwalking. There is an absolute determination to get Brexit right. We are very determined with regard to that. There are other issues that I will come back to in a moment if I have the opportunity.

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