Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will advise on the details of the cross border directive for this person [31859/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.

The Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare provides rules for the reimbursement to patients of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home member state and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the coordination of social security schemes (Regulation 883/04).

The Health Service Executive (HSE) operates the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland. In line with practice in other EU member states, the HSE, through the National Contact Point (NCP) office, provides information for patients on the Cross-Border Directive on its website - -and also by phone. The principal function of the NCP is to facilitate exchange of information for patients concerning their rights and entitlements relating to receiving healthcare in another member state, in particular the terms and conditions for reimbursement of cost and the procedures for accessing and determining those entitlements.