Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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287. To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place in relation to the cross-border initiative for healthcare procedures in the context of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8991/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As part of a whole of Government response to Brexit, the Department of Health is working to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated set of preparations to ensure continuity of health services post-Brexit.

The Government, on Friday 22nd Feb 2019, published the ‘Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019’.

Part 2 of the Bill deals with healthcare arrangements with the UK post-Brexit in a no-deal scenario and contains provisions to allow me to make Orders and Regulations to enable necessary healthcare arrangements to be maintained between Ireland and the UK, including those existing arrangements which enable access to health services in the UK for persons in the State.

Work is currently ongoing between the Irish and UK officials on the preservation of access to health services which have been facilitated by the Common Travel Area.