Written answers
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Department of Health
Cross-Border Health Initiatives
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Health the arrangements in place to ensure that services now provided under the cross-border directive in Northern Ireland to persons living here will continue to be available for reimbursement here after 1 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41114/20]
Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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145. To ask the Minister for Health if, due to Brexit much doubt is cast over the European Union cross-border directive, if the Government will put a bilateral agreement in place for the EU Cross Border Directive on Health with the UK or at the very least Northern Ireland; and if not, if Irish citizens will be directly disadvantaged as a result of the UK decision to leave the EU and be forced to travel to mainland Europe to avail of the vital healthcare scheme or stay on the island and bide their time on waiting lists. [38263/20]
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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197. To ask the Minister for Health the outcome of the most recent discussions that have been held with the Departments of Health in Northern Ireland and in the UK concerning the EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive post-Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42215/20]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 145 and 197 together.
Both the Irish and British Governments are committed to maintaining, in so far as possible, the current healthcare arrangements under the Common Travel Area (CTA). Under the CTA, Irish citizens and British citizens who live in, work in, or visit the other state have the right to access publicly funded health services there. The Government is working to ensure that new arrangements through a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK will provide for continued access to reciprocal health services, between Ireland and the UK, including on the island of Ireland, which residents in both jurisdictions currently access.
The UK’s withdrawal from the EU has implications for healthcare arrangements that currently operate under the EU legislative framework, including those arrangements covered by the Cross Border Directive (CBD). With effect from 1 January 2021, the provisions of the CBD will no longer apply to the UK. My officials are giving detailed consideration to the implementation of a unilateral CBD type arrangement which will provide that Irish residents can continue to access services provided by private health service providers in the UK post the end of the Transition Period.
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