A new law will enable patients who are forced to travel abroad for treatment due to long waiting lists to be reimbursed by the HSE.
The reimbursement scheme will cover the North or any EU country, where the patient can access both public and private hospitals.
The HSE will reportedly pay for anything that the patient would be entitled to within the public health system in Ireland, and patients are not required to be on an existing waiting list to apply.
The scheme is part of a European directive, and was fully enacted into law at the end of February.
It is understood that the Irish Government delayed the introduction of such legislation here until the European Commission threatened legal action.