James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Minister for Health the number of occasions on which persons under 18 years of age with eating disorders received treatment in the United Kingdom in each of the past four years; the legal basis for these treatments; the implications of Brexit for such treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9930/18]

Jim Daly (Cork South 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, and implementing Regulations (EC) No. 987/2009.

The HSE also operates the EU Directive 2011/24/EU on Patients' Rights in Cross Border Healthcare in Ireland, known as the Cross Border Healthcare Directive (CBD).

As this question requests TAS and CBD data, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply.

There is no question that Brexit poses very significant and serious challenges to Ireland’s economy and trade, as well as across a range of other sectors, including healthcare. As a committed member of the EU, Ireland has engaged fully in the negotiations, as part of the EU27 team and will continue to do so in phase two, where our approach will be to work towards ensuring that the future EU-UK relationship will be as close to the current arrangements as possible.

It is important to emphasise that at present there are no changes to patient care, as the UK continues to be a full member of the EU. Indeed until the UK formally withdraws from the European Union, it remains a full Member with all of its existing rights and obligations.