Cross-border health-service eligibility
Deputy Harte said people moving between Donegal and Tyrone faced uncertainty about access to free health services. The Minister said eligible Irish social welfare recipients and contributory pensioners have reciprocal rights in the UK, as UK residents do in Ireland.
There are other people besides those in the categories Deputy O'Connell and Deputy Boland have been mentioning. I am not going as far afield. Persons from Tyrone who move to Donegal find, no matter what their income is, that they are entitled to all the free health services but they are not getting them. They have to establish their right to them. A person in the lower income bracket from Donegal who moves into Tyrone finds a different situation.
Comment on this
The situation is completely reciprocal. All the EEC countries receive from and afford each other the same facilities in this regard.
Comment on this
Is the Minister telling me that someone from the lower income bracket who leaves Donegal and moves into Tyrone will receive the same facilities?
Comment on this
I have indicated that the position is that any Irish person who has eligibility here under our social welfare legislation or contriburory pension has the same rights in the UK and vice versa.