Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 July 2016
509. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health if he has held or plans to hold meetings with his Northern Irish counterparts with regard to the cross-border directive in light of the Brexit referendum result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19315/16]
View answerThe EU Directive 2011/24/EU on Patients’ Rights in Cross Border Healthcare aims to ensure EU citizens may access safe and good quality healthcare services across EU borders. The Directive establishes a framework for cross border healthcare between EU/EEA states to facilitate patients to access care in another Member State in accordance with their entitlements in their own country. Under the Directive, known as the Cross Border Healthcare Directive (CBD), insured patients are entitled to have the costs of cross-border healthcare services reimbursed if the healthcare service in question is among the benefits to which they are entitled in their Member State of affiliation. As such, it allows Irish residents to avail of healthcare in other EU or EEA (excluding Switzerland) Member States that they would be entitled to within the public health system in Ireland, which is not contrary to Irish legislation.
The result of the recent EU Referendum in the UK means that the UK electorate have declared their wish to leave the EU. It is important to be clear that the UK has not yet left the EU. Until it formally withdraws from the Union, it remains a full Member, with all of its existing rights and obligations. I wish to assure the Deputy that there will be no immediate changes in the area of health as a consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Irish patients who had planned to travel to the UK under the CBD in the near future may continue to do as planned.
The terms of a British exit from the EU are unknown at this stage. It is expected to take a minimum of two years of negotiations between all EU member states, including Ireland, to agree a new arrangement between the UK and the EU, and the Department of Health will be fully involved in these negotiations.
The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Plenary took place on Monday 4 July. This provided an important opportunity for an initial strategic discussion between the Government and the NI Executive on the impact of the recent UK referendum.
In order to optimise joint planning and engagement on key issues arising following the UK referendum result, the NSMC agreed to work together to ensure that Northern Ireland’s interests are protected and advanced and the benefits of North/South co-operation are fully recognised in any new arrangements which emerge as regards the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the European Union.
NSMC ministerial sectoral meetings will provide an important forum for consideration of the strategic and cross-cutting issues arising from the UK referendum. The next NSMC Health and Food Safety ministerial sectoral meeting is scheduled to take place in autumn 2016.
In advance of this, my Department will build on initial work completed to undertake a full audit of the possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies arising over the longer term, in the phases preceding and following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
This work will be conducted by a sub-committee of the Management Board, which was set up in advance of the UK referendum to examine the potential consequences of a UK decision to leave the EU on healthcare in Ireland and for Irish citizens.
Regular contact with counterparts at political and official level will be maintained throughout this process.
Further discussion on the implications of the referendum result will take place at the next NSMC Plenary, which takes place in Armagh in November.
