Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will explain the necessity for the renewal of the European health insurance card every four years; and her views that there could be significant savings in respect of the administration of the scheme if the card was issued on an open-ended basis. [8921/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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As part of the provisions on social security coordination within the European Union, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is issued to European citizens who are travelling within the European Economic Area (i.e. the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland, for private or professional reasons or for reasons of study. This card simplifies the procedure when receiving medical assistance during a temporary stay in one of these States. Each State is responsible for producing and distributing the EHIC within its territory. However, the card has the same technical characteristics in each State, which ensures its immediate recognition by healthcare providers all over Europe.

EHIC's are issued for a defined period for a number of reasons. The entitlement to the card is linked to the person's health entitlement in his/her home State and these circumstances can and do change. Also, the relevant EU Regulations oblige each Member State to take financial responsibility for care provided to an "in-date" card holder and open ended issue cards would pose a significant financial risk. Finally, the EHIC is an EU scheme and while the EU does not determine review periods, it obliges all Member States to have a card end date.

In respect of the costs of renewing cards, the HSE informs me that they are not significant since many card holders operate the "self service" (electronic) system for renewal when their circumstances are unchanged.