Written answers
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Department of Health
Departmental Schemes
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1763. To ask the Minister for Health if the treatment abroad scheme is available to patients who have been referred to a private hospital abroad for urgent treatment. [58338/25]
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
- among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
- not available in Ireland;
- not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;
- medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
- a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
- provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
- is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/treatment-abroad-scheme/
Patients are advised to contact the HSE TAS office directly, for advice on making an application for treatment abroad, in advance of travel;ing abroad. Contact details are available on the TAS Website.
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1764. To ask the Minister for Health when a person is entitled to avail of the treatment abroad scheme for treatment in a private hospital. [58339/25]
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
The HSE operates the EU Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant led scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
- among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
- not available in Ireland;
- not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease;
- medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
- a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
- provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
- is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
www2.hse.ie/services/schemes-allowances/treatment-abroad-scheme/
Patients are advised to contact the HSE TAS office directly, for advice on making an application for treatment abroad, in advance of travelling abroad. Contact details are available on the TAS Website.
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