Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the case of an Irish citizen (details supplied), a cancer victim whose surgery here was not a success and who has opted for alternative treatment in a medical centre overseas; if he will, in recognition of the serious situation applying for this person and of the great generosity of this person's adopted community (details supplied) in County Cavan, seek to secure some level of financial assistance towards the overall cost of the treatment and any other practical supports that he may identify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20775/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE operates the Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS) for persons entitled to treatment in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland under EU Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004, as per the procedures set out in EU Regulations (EC) No. 987/2009, and in accordance with Department of Health Guidelines. Patients have the ability to apply to the HSE TAS seeking access to public healthcare outside the state through model form E112. The application requires the patient's Irish based public referring hospital consultant, following clinical assessment, to certify, among other things, that the treatment is medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs. The treatment must not be available within the State or not available within a time normally necessary for obtaining it.

There is no statutory framework for referral of patients outside the EU/EEA member states. In the instance that a consultant wishes to refer a patient to a non-EU/EEA country, the HSE TAS applies the TAS administrative process and documentation for the purposes of such applications. Such applications for treatment in non-EU/EEA countries are required to provide evidence that the treatment is not available within the EU/EEA.