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Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Foilsithe
An t-eolas is déanaí
Teanga: Níl leagan Gaeilge den mhír seo ar fáil.
Now that the UK has left the EU, a number of changes arise.
Here you can find information on how services like banking, online shopping, consumer rights, driving licences and mobile roaming are affected.
We are working to keep this website up-to-date. Check back regularly, as information will be updated as it becomes available.
Both the Irish and British Governments are committed to maintaining, in so far as possible, the current healthcare arrangements under the Common Travel Area (CTA) . Under the CTA, Irish citizens and British citizens who live in, work in, or visit the other state have the right to access publicly funded health services there.
Other North South cooperation arrangements will also continue on the island of Ireland.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK provides a new framework for the continuation of access to healthcare for persons resident in Ireland who are working, visiting, or residing in the UK after 1 January 2021. The scope of these arrangements includes planned treatment and necessary healthcare.
The sale and supply of medicines to and from the UK continues as normal. The manufacturers of medicines, wholesalers and pharmacists are working closely with Government in this area and, as a result, there is no evidence to suggest that Ireland is likely to face general medicines supply issues, now or in the near future.
All stakeholders will continue to closely monitor supplies and will put any additional arrangements in place as necessary. This includes time- and temperature- sensitive medicines. Some of our medicines come from or through the UK to get to Ireland. However, medicines manufactured in the UK can continue to be supplied to the EU as long as they continue to meet EU standards.
For medicines coming through the UK, Ireland is well placed to maintain the general supply of medicines. This is because medicines are not normally subject to Free Trade Agreements or checks at borders. There are already additional stocks of medicines routinely built into the Irish medicine supply chain to address any initial delays at ports, should they occur.
You do not need to order extra quantities of medicines or extra prescriptions. If you do, you could disrupt existing stock levels and hamper the supply of medicines for other patients. Anyone with an ongoing need for medicines should fill their prescription as normal.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK provides a new framework for the continuation of access to healthcare for persons resident in Ireland who are working, visiting or residing in the UK after 1 January 2021. The scope of these arrangements includes planned treatment and necessary healthcare.
Cross border health services (like the cardiology and cancer treatments in Altnagelvin, Derry and paediatric cardiology and related maternity services in Dublin) are managed by service level agreements. Similar arrangements are in place between the National Ambulance Services and the Northern Irish Ambulance Service for the provision of cross-border ambulance services. In all scenarios, services like these can be expected to continue.
The five largest retail banks operating in Ireland are regulated by the Central Bank. In addition, UK financial services firms operating in Ireland have had to take steps to be authorised to operate within the EU. The majority of firms have taken appropriate action to continue to provide services across the EU.
Consumers are advised to contact their banking/financial services providers if they have any concerns. The Central Bank also has more information.
SEPA is the Single Euro Payments Area which enables payment transfers in euro between accounts in SEPA countries.
The UK has retained its membership in SEPA and no consumer impact is expected.
Customers should contact their finance provider if they have any further queries. The Central Bank also has more information.
Payments to and from the UK are treated as payments to and from a third country for the purposes of what is known as the Funds Transfer Regulations (FTR). This change means that additional information, including the payer address, will be required for fund transfers between Ireland and the UK.
The Central Bank of Ireland has had extensive and ongoing engagement with the payment service providers (PSPs) e.g. banks and payment institutions, UK supervisory authorities and industry representative bodies to highlight this change.
Businesses in Ireland, who use a UK based Payment Service Provider to process their direct debits, should talk to that provider immediately to ensure uninterrupted processing of direct debit payments.
Customers should contact their finance provider if they have any further queries. The Central Bank also has more information.
The majority of insurance firms selling policies from the UK and Gibraltar into Ireland have implemented plans to ensure service continuity after the transition period.
The Government has also made provision within Part 10 of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020 to protect consumers to ensure continuity of service for existing contracts after the transition period.
The Central Bank advises that if you have any concerns about your insurance policy, you should contact your insurance provider.
For further information, see the Central Bank website.
For information on motor insurance, please see travelling and visiting .
The Protocol for Ireland and Northern Ireland, part of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, provides for the continuance of the Single Electricity Market on the island of Ireland.
Irish electricity supply, as well as the supply of transport fuels, gas and coal are largely unaffected.
The Government is also working to increase its electricity interconnectivity with the EU Internal Energy Market through the Celtic Interconnector project with France, for which substantial EU funding has been made available.
UK-based channels holding an EU broadcasting licence can continue to provide services in Ireland once they have an EU broadcasting licence in place.
Government has worked with the sector, including the major broadcasting service providers in Ireland, to ensure they are fully aware of these requirements. The UK Government has put legislation in place to ensure that RTÉ and TG4 continue to be available in Northern Ireland.
If you have any concerns, you are advised to contact your TV provider directly.
Ireland exports more food than it imports and current arrangements will continue. However, currency fluctuation and changes to the EU's trading relationship with the UK might mean an impact on costs of imports from the UK over time.
Irish consumers will continue to have the option, as they do today, to choose from range of products from across the world. In addition, distributors, manufacturers and retailers have been working hard and making considerable investment to sustain supplies, increase warehousing and on other contingency measures.
Suppliers will continue to have alternative choices of products thanks to our EU membership and the Single Market.
It is the case that mobile operators are no longer legally required under EU law to offer roaming at no additional charge to customers travelling to the UK from the EU. This includes travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is therefore, a commercial decision for mobile operators whether or not they apply roaming charges.
This does not mean that mobile operators will necessarily apply new charges. The three main mobile providers in Ireland have indicated that there will be no changes to the current roaming arrangements for their customers. However, this could be subject to change over time. In any event, all operators must make customers well aware of any roaming charges they could incur, if and when, they use mobile devices in the UK. If you have any concerns or you wish to check, you should contact your provider directly.
UK mobile operators have indicated their intention not to reintroduce mobile roaming charges.
ComReg, the independent telecoms regulator, will continue to ensure that all providers meet relevant obligations in areas such as roaming alerts. ComReg also has information for customers in relation to roaming on their website, including tips on how to avoid inadvertent roaming when using a mobile device in the border regions.
The operating environment for online retail has changed, for consumers buying from UK traders operating from/through websites in the UK.
You need to be aware when buying goods from the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) that you may have to pay certain taxes and duties such as VAT, Customs Duty and Excise Duty. Whether or not these additional charges arise depends on the value, type and origin of the goods being purchased.
All goods greater than €22 and below €150 (excluding transport, insurance and handling charges) are liable to VAT on Import into the EU from the UK, with the exception of Northern Ireland. Goods with a value above €150 (excluding transport, insurance and handling charges) are liable to VAT on Import and Customs Duty.
Where the goods have originated in the UK Customs Duty at the preferential 0% rate will apply as per the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. However, Customs Duty will apply where the goods have not originated in the UK.
The above limits do not apply to excisable goods where, regardless of their value, full import duties and VAT will apply in addition to excise duty on export into the EU from the UK (with the exception of Northern Ireland). These costs may apply to items from the UK.
Consumers should be aware that since 1 January 2021:
In certain instances, EU consumer protection legislation may no longer apply to or in respect of the UK, removing the legally enforceable guarantees currently available in EU law to both retailers and consumers.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) website has extensive information for consumers and businesses. It sets out the changes to consumer rights, and information on extra taxes and charges which may be due when shopping online from the UK.
In certain circumstances, EU consumer law may not apply to and in the UK. Current redress mechanisms, as provided for under EU consumer law, may therefore not be available. For example, if you are in a dispute with a UK-based trader, you may not be able to avail of the European Consumer Centre network or the European Small Claims Procedure.
However, consumers in Ireland can take individual action through the Irish Courts if they have purchased online from UK traders who do business in the EU.
Further information on your consumer rights in relation to Brexit is available from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission .
Click here to return to the Brexit and You page.