Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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806. To ask the Minister for Health if the Northern Ireland planned healthcare scheme in its current model in providing healthcare will extend beyond 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52097/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme (NI PHS) has been in effective operation since 1 January 2021. This Scheme was introduced to mitigate the loss of access to care from private providers in Northern Ireland under the EU Cross Border Directive, which ceased to apply as a result of Brexit. The Government intends to place the administrative NI PHS on a statutory basis and an extensive examination of options to inform the drafting of a General Scheme is currently underway. I can confirm that the administrative scheme will remain until such time that a statutory scheme is in place.