Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I know is of particular interest to him. I acknowledge the work that he and others have done in assisting patients in his constituency to avail of the services of the cross-border directive. While the policy matter is one for the Minister for Health, I am happy to answer the question as best I can.

Since the start of this year, the provisions of the EU cross-border directive no longer apply to the UK. On 28 December 2020, the Government approved the implementation of a new Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. The new scheme, operational from 1 January 2021, enables persons resident in the State to access the same treatments previously provided for under the EU cross-border directive and be reimbursed for such private healthcare in Northern Ireland by the HSE, provided such healthcare is publicly available within Ireland. It is intended that the scheme will operate for 12 months on an administrative basis initially, with a view to developing a general scheme to provide a statutory basis for the scheme. The Minister for Health is progressing plans in that regard.

The scheme is demand led. The cross-border directive costs have been increasing year on year and in 2020 were €15.4 million. The bigger picture here is that we need to get away from people needing to travel to Northern Ireland. That is the bottom line. We are investing €22 billion this year in our public health service. We should be able to provide the service for cataract treatment, for example. In that regard many of the constituents that the Deputy is assisting to bring to Northern Ireland will be able to benefit from the additional investment which is now being provided in ophthalmology services.

As the Deputy is aware, a reconfiguration is under way in Cork, involving the existing services amalgamated from two sites at Cork University Hospital and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital to now be based on the South Infirmary campus. It includes a new outpatient building, which is nearing completion. Following its completion, services will transfer to the South Infirmary in quarter 4 of this year. A new theatre complex is also being built in the South Infirmary which will create two new theatres, one of which is expected to be completed in quarter 1 or quarter 2 of next year. We need to get away from the situation where people need to travel to Northern Ireland and provide the services locally. For the Deputy's constituents in Cork, we should be providing that service in Cork and that is what I am determined to achieve with the Minister.

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