Danny Healy-Rae Demands Cross-Border Cataract Care Continue
Danny Healy-Rae urged the continuation of cross-border arrangements that allow Irish patients to travel north for cataract surgery, warning that delays could cause sight loss. He criticised the minister's earlier answers and called for legislation or a bilateral arrangement to preserve the service after Britain leaves the EU.
Immediate patient risk
He recounted taking a woman in August for cataract treatment and said that if she had to wait two weeks more she would have lost her sight - using the example to argue the service must continue and that patients' vision is at stake.
Challenge to ministerial responses
He criticised the minister's demeanour and answers about the cross-border directive as "totally unacceptable" and questioned why there was a difference in position between the minister and another minister in the same government and constituency over allowing patients to travel north for care.
Replacement of the EU directive after Brexit
The Taoiseach responded that the European cross-border directive could not apply once Britain leaves the EU on 1 January and said it would need to be replaced by a separate bilateral arrangement between Ireland and the United Kingdom - an approach he said should guide future arrangements.
Local capacity and existing Belfast services
The Taoiseach also said it is preferable to provide local capacity for cataract surgery rather than relying on travel to Belfast, while welcoming that services in Belfast have been available and that taxpayers and health services have facilitated reimbursement for those who used the directive.
Call for legislation and ongoing arrangements
Danny Healy-Rae pressed for legislation to ensure the service continues and highlighted the importance of renewing ongoing health-service arrangements within the common travel area as part of Brexit-related negotiations.
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Danny Healy-Rae, please. Teacher, your demeanour and your attitude when questioned about the cross-border directive and allowing people to go to the north of Ireland to get the cataracts removed, was totally, your answers yesterday were totally unacceptable. And, you see, you're talking about building something in Corkford to deal with this problem. But, you see, you're saying that we can't, that you won't allow the cross-border directive to continue, but how is there such a difference between Minister, yourself and Minister Coveney? You're actually in the same government and actually in the same constituency. What you're talking about, many people will go blind if you don't allow this and ensure that this service continues. continues, because I took a woman up in August, and if she had to wait two weeks more, she would have lost her sight. Do you understand that, Taoiseach? All right. This service has to be allowed to continue, and legislation needs to be introduced to allow it to continue. Okay, thank you. Thank you very much, Deputy. Minan, Taoiseach. The Deputy clearly didn't listen to me yesterday. I actually said yesterday that we would have to replace the European Union Directive with a separate bilateral arrangement between Ireland and the United Kingdom. Why? Because the cross-border directive is a European Union Directive. And you know, and I know, that Britain is leaving the European Union on the 1st of January, so that specific directive could not apply from then onwards. That's what I said, and you shouldn't misrepresent what I said. Secondly, I do believe that it's far better if we can provide capacity locally for people to get their cataract surgery, rather than having to travel long distances at the Belfast or other areas to do so. I welcome the fact that the services are available in Belfast, and that the taxpayer and the health services have facilitated, through this directive, the reimbursement for people who have availed of the cross-border directive to date. And I also said yesterday, as part of the Brexit negotiations and the common travel area, that we're looking to renew the ongoing relationships and arrangements between the two countries in respect of health services for Irish citizens in Britain and British citizens in Ireland. And that's the experience from which we tend to proceed.
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