The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, will today (Wednesday 22 March) introduce legislation in the Dáil aimed at abolishing adult public in-patient charges in public hospitals from next month.
The Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 is scheduled to commence in the Oireachtas later today.
The Bill was published on Friday 10 March and will, when enacted, remove the acute public in-patient charge of €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 in a year (including day-case charges), for people accessing care as a public patient in all public hospitals. Charges for children under 16 were abolished in 2022, and this is the next step in the removal of charges for all.
Speaking in advance of the legislation commencing in the Houses of the Oireachtas, Minister Donnelly said:
“I am delighted that the Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 will commence in the Dáil later today. This Bill, when enacted, will mean that people will no longer be charged when accessing public in-patient care in our public hospitals.
“The removal of these charges, announced as part of Budget 2023, is an important step towards reducing the healthcare costs of patients and families. I intend to progress this legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas as a priority in the coming weeks.”
Subject to timely passage of the Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 through the Houses of the Oireachtas, it is envisaged that the measure will be introduced next month. This measure builds on the abolition of public in-patient charges for children under 16, which the Minister for Health introduced in September last year, and is another significant step in ensuring that people have access to affordable healthcare services.
ENDS //
NOTES FOR EDITOR
All persons ordinarily resident in Ireland are eligible for public hospital services and, as public patients, are subject to a statutory public in-patient charge of €80 per night. Medical card holders and certain cohorts of persons are exempt from these charges. Primary legislation is needed to set out the legislative amendments required to the Health Act 1970 to abolish the public in-patient charge.
Funding was provided in Budget 2023 to abolish the acute public in-patient charge for patients in public hospitals. The Minister for Health intends to progress the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas as a priority in the coming weeks.
The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Act 2022, enacted last year, removes the acute public in-patient charge of €80 per day (including day-case charges) for children under 16 years of age in all public hospitals. This measure came into effect from 21 September 2022.