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

I thank Deputy for raising the issue. This scheme has been in effective operation since January 2021. It ensures patients have not lost important access to private providers in Northern Ireland following the cessation of the EU cross-border directive arising from Brexit. Using the latest data available from the HSE, more than 5,500 reimbursements have been made to persons in 2021 who have continued to access healthcare in Northern Ireland under either the cross-border directive transitional arrangements or the new Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. This equates to the reimbursement of approximately €9.7 million to patients accessing care under the scheme. Patients also continue to access care in other European Union nations under the provisions of the cross-border directive.

On the point of the legislation, this is on administrative basis at the moment. Work is under way by the Department of Health to determine the legislative framework that is necessary to underpin the operation of the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme. That will continue over the coming while. I will come back to the Deputy with more specific timelines.

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