Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 5, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:"Issuance of European Health Insurance Card to eligible persons

4.(1) An eligible person shall be entitled to a European Health Insurance Card to be issued by the Executive.

(2) An application for a European Health Insurance Card by an eligible person under subsection (1)shall be made in the prescribed form and manner at HSE Local Health Offices or through the HSE managed website.

(3) On receipt of an application under subsection (1), the Executive shall issue a European Health Insurance Card to the eligible person, or the person acting on their behalf, in the prescribed form and manner, where it is satisfied that—

(a) the person in respect of whom the application is made is an eligible person, and

(b) he or she, or a person acting on his or her behalf, has complied with this section and any regulations made under section 5.".

I have already outlined the reasons I have proposed these amendments. Nobody is disagreeing with the rationale for it. This is my attempt to save the State a few shillings from what would be a very expensive reimbursement scheme. I want to hear from the Minister for Health with regard to the legal advice and the reasons it was done. I am not accusing anyone of acting in bad faith and I do not believe anyone has done so, but a very firm and clear commitment was given to people in the North. It was very much welcomed by them but they are adults. They just want to hear the reasons that may not be possible or the pathway that may exist to eventually get there.

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