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Health Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 November 2021

Wednesday, 3 November 2021

Questions (152)

Gerald Nash

Question:

152. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the immediate future of the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme; the conditions and treatments the scheme covers; the number of patients from the Ireland who utilised the EU cross-border directive in 2018, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form; the treatments they underwent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53469/21]

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Written answers

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.

As the HSE is responsible for the operation of this Scheme, I have referred the specific questions raised to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

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