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26 Mar 2026

Foyle MLA criticises a decision not to fund a cross border health scheme

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan hoped it would help address growing waiting lists for elective surgery

Mark H Durkan

Mark H Durkan (SDLP)

Reporter:

Brendan McGilligan

18 Feb 2025 9:00 AM

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan has criticised a decision not to fund a cross border health scheme to help address growing waiting lists for elective surgery.
Mr Durkan has previously called on the Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt to engage with his Executive colleagues to reopen the Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme (RoIRS.) In response to an Assembly Question tabled by Mr Durkan Minister Nesbitt stated that the Executive did not support the bid for funding for a replacement scheme during the 2024/25 budget. 
The Foyle MLA:
 
“It’s gutting to learn that the Executive has chosen not to support the return of a cross border healthcare scheme that would have allowed people enduring painful waits, to access treatment sooner.
 
“Myself and others forewarned of the inevitable situation whereby people forced onto ever-increasing waiting lists would be forced to seek private treatment. Sadly, that fear has been realised with record numbers of patients in the North using private healthcare.  
 
 “Painful timeframes are proving devastating for patients. People are living in constant pain, their lives turned upside down—some unable to manage the stairs to go to bed, others struggling to sleep as the pain remains unbearable even when they do. I’ve heard of so many desperate patients who felt they had no alternative but to deplete the little savings they had or to turn towards credit unions, to pay for private surgery.
 
“The cross border reimbursement scheme is by no means a perfect one but it has been a vital interim solution which patients and the health system has become reliant on. It's incredibly disappointing that the Executive has rejected a funding bid that could have supported 4,000 patients—twice the number helped in the previous rollout.
 
“This situation has been brought about by a toxic cocktail of failures by the Executive; to seriously embrace cross border healthcare opportunities, failure to drive meaningful transformation within the health system and to properly invest in services and the workforce, who are leaving in their droves to access better pay and working conditions elsewhere.
 
“The SDLP will work to explore further opportunities for cross border healthcare beyond elective care via the Shared Island Initiative and look at ways to further enhance cross border cooperation. People have worked and paid into a system all their lives with the promise of receiving healthcare ‘free at the point of use.’ They shouldn’t be forced into debt to access timely treatment.”

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