Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber. The cross-border healthcare directive, as it was once known, was introduced in 2014. It has proved to be a major success. Interestingly, only seven people availed of the scheme in 2014, but up-to-date figures indicate almost 15,000 people have availed of healthcare across the Border.

For many people who are languishing on waiting lists, whether it is for a cataract operation or some other eye procedure, or perhaps a hip or knee replacement, the cross-border health scheme was a complete game changer. It changed their lives completely and improved their quality of life no end. Back then, people could go to any EU state to avail of healthcare but, unfortunately, Brexit came along and there were worries that that would be the end of the scheme. Thankfully, that has proven not to be the case. The Government moved swiftly last year to introduce an interim scheme, the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme, which allowed people in the Republic to avail of healthcare in Northern Ireland, or elsewhere in the EU, including operations and procedures that were available in the South. The scheme has continued and it has proved to be very successful

As I said, the figures speak for themselves. From 2018 to 2021, cataract procedures proved to be the most popular. Some 4,131 people availed of those procedures, while 1,413 people had hip replacements and more than 600 people has knee replacements. On 28 December 2020, the Government moved to sign the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme into law for a 12-month period. There is now concern because that 12-month period is about to expire. People are asking what the future of the scheme will be, whether there will be one and who will be entitled to it. There is uncertainty that needs to be put aside. We hope that the Minister of State will confirm for us, and the Irish people, that the Northern Ireland healthcare scheme will continue so that people who, unfortunately, have been waiting for procedures for many years will be able to avail of this scheme in future.

It is also worth noting that PDFORRA has an arrangement in place with Kingsbridge Private Hospital in Belfast under this scheme. It is also concerned about what the future of this scheme holds for its members. I hope the Minister of State will have good news for everyone in the Chamber and will bring clarity to this issue for many of those people who suffer for years as they wait for healthcare procedures, so that they will know that they will be able to continue to avail of healthcare in the North, if that is what they wish to do.