Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies for their contributions on this important section. Deputy Howlin is right to point out that healthcare is an issue citizens in the North and the Republic are watching very carefully. While a great deal of the conversation about Brexit pertains to issues related to trade, economic well-being and growth, all of which are terribly important, health will, on a human and practical level, be the sort of matter on which, as Deputies Howlin and Ó Caoláin articulate so clearly, people will want to know whether the status quocan continue post Brexit, regardless of how it ends up being composed. I assure not only the House but the people that it is the very clear intention of the Irish and British Governments to continue to provide health services between the jurisdictions on the North-South and east-west basis that obtains today. Only today the Cabinet approved the signing by the Tánaiste of a detailed memorandum of understanding with the UK Government to enable issues related to the common travel area to be addressed. I also met the HSE recently as part of our own Brexit preparations and was informed by it, to answer Deputy Ó Caoláin's question directly, that there was no cross-Border health service available which would not be available post Brexit. That is an absolute tribute to the incredible individuals in the health services in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who have worked so hard to ensure that is the reality. As Deputy Ó Caoláin will know better than many Members, owing to his geographical location and representation of a Border county, the links between the health services and our peoples run very deep and have done so for a very long time. The commitment of all to maintain these links has been extraordinarily helpful. I provide the assurance for which Deputy Ó Caoláin asks and I am pleased to be able to do so.

Deputy Howlin asked a very specific question and I accept his sincerity and bona fides in raising it. He wants to know that this is the right way to go and me to assure the House that our legal advices are robust in that regard. I assure him that we have received advice from the Office of the Attorney General and liaised with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. All of the legal advice available to the Government is that this is an appropriate way to proceed and, in fact, is the most straightforward approach considering that it is emergency legislation. While it is legislation we hope we will never have to implement, we want to have it on the Statute Book should we end up in a crash-out.

See this speech in context