Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 4

Written Answers. - Health Care Entitlements.

Cecilia Keaveney

Ceist:

97 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Health whether an agreement can be made with the authorities in Northern Ireland to have the families of cross-Border workers treated in the same manner as workers in the North in respect of health care for their entire family, that is cross-Border workers who pay the same health contributions should have their family included in the care that is provided or else their contributions should be reduced. [11458/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): Within the European Union reciprocal arrangements regarding the health care entitlements of workers and their families living in one country and working in another are governed by the provisions of EU Regulation 1408/71.

Persons resident in one country have entitlement to benefits under legislation in a second country by virtue of being employed there. Such persons are given equivalent benefits in the country in which they are resident on behalf of the country in which they are employed. The latter country is responsible for the costs involved. Where health services are provided in respect of a person working in Northern Ireland the equivalent benefit results, in effect, in entitlement to a medical card without means testing.

Members of the workers' family are also entitled to services which are equivalent to that of the country on whose behalf the services are provided unless the spouse or the person looking after the children pursues a professional or trade activity in the territory of residence. In such cases, their eligibility for a medical card would be subject to means testing and it would not be considered appropriate to provide them with a medical card irrespective of their means.

Any person who is not eligible for a medical card under EU regulations may apply for a medical card under Irish legislation on a the basis of need. I am satisfied that the chief executive officers of the health boards, who have statutory responsibility in this area, give sympathetic consideration to such applications when the circumstances warrant it.

In the 1996 financial statement the Minister for Finance announced an exemption from the health contribution and the employment and training levy on their Northern Ireland earnings for cross-Border workers. This measure has addressed the problem regarding health contributions raised by the Deputy in her question.