David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1195. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of maintaining access to the European health insurance card for citizens in Northern Ireland assuming coverage is otherwise lost as a result of Brexit. [21561/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The maintenance of European Health Insurance Card rights is part of the ongoing Future Relationship negotiations between the UK and the EU. This Government recognises the importance placed on continued access to the European Health Insurance Card by residents of Northern Ireland and continues to monitor developments on this closely.

In the event of there being no agreement between the EU and the UK on this issue, preparations for the implementation of an analogous scheme to the European Health Insurance Card have been ongoing. In that regard a figure of just over €5 million per annum has been estimated for such a scheme. However, it is important to note that this is a high level estimate and the actual cost will be dependent on a range of factors including the numbers that might avail of such a scheme, the potential for an ongoing impact on travel due to Covid-19 and the number of persons in Northern Ireland that may retain European Health Insurance Card rights under the EU/UK Withdrawal Agreement.