Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The cross-border health directive is an EU directive. I explained that to the Deputy the last day. Britain is leaving the European Union. Deputy Michael Collins knows that. I have told him. What happens is the EU directive does not apply to the UK anymore and it is no longer obliged and we then have to develop a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, a similar scheme which we would have separately with the UK as we have had with the European Union. That is currently being considered and discussed with the UK authorities.

On top of that, as part of the common travel area, we have had a long-standing relationship with British health care services.

They have had the same with us in terms of their citizens availing of Irish healthcare services when they are living here and vice versa. As part of preparations for Brexit, we are devising and working up a memorandum of understanding, which will be legislated for to guarantee the type of ongoing provision of services to Irish citizens in Britain and British citizens in Ireland that were always part and parcel and to continue with a similar arrangement as applied under the cross-border directive.

See this speech in context