Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for his question and for the work he undertakes in supporting this sector, ensuring Ireland remains an attractive place for international students to study. It is important that every effort is made to encourage these students to make this decision and support them once they come here. I also understand that it is important for any jurisdiction to have in place certain restrictions and requirements on those people who choose to come to the State, to live or to study, and in that context, my colleague, the Minister for Justice, has policy responsibility for immigration matters. I accept that the Senator has been raising this matter for more than a year.

From my understanding of immigration policy, in order for these students to first come to Ireland, they must meet certain visa requirements, one of which is to hold health insurance for the duration of their stay. Therefore, in respect of the Senator's question as to whether there has been progress on easing this requirement, officials in my Department have been engaging with officials in the Department of Justice to explore if this requirement should be necessary for these students at all. In this regard, discussions with those officials are at an advanced stage and in the coming weeks I hope to have positive progress to communicate to the Senator.

Given that I do not have the role or the remit to speak directly on issues concerning immigration policy, I will speak on the matter of health insurance and Ireland's community-rated system of health insurance, as it is directly within my remit and policymaking role. As the Senator will be aware, we have a voluntary, community-rated market in Ireland. This means that there is no requirement for any person to procure private health insurance under Irish health insurance legislation. A community-rated market means that when someone does decide to purchase health insurance, they are not risk rated and, therefore, are not discriminated on the basis of age, gender or health status. This is long-established Government policy and it ensures that health insurance policies are affordable for everyone. It is legislation with which we can all agree.

To maintain this policy of community rating, and under the Health Insurance Acts, any person who is ordinarily resident in the State and purchasing private health insurance must buy a community-rated health insurance policy from a registered insurer. This ensures the products these consumers are buying are regulated by the independent regulator of health insurance, the Health Insurance Authority. Providers who sell health insurance to consumers must also comply with the provisions of the Health Insurance Acts, which include open enrolment, community rating, lifetime cover and minimum benefits.

Irish health insurance legislation does not currently contain any reference to persons who are required to hold health insurance. This requirement is a part of a person's visa checklist when they are preparing to come and stay in this country, and the policies and procedures around visas are not within my policymaking remit or that of my Department.

I again thank the Senator for his question and commend his work in this area, ensuring these students continue to come to Ireland to study and are supported appropriately once they are here. As I said, there are new works in the Department and I hope we will be in a better position in a few weeks.