MINISTER FOR HEALTH Stephen Donnelly is set to introduce legislation in the Dáil today 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 last year.

Speaking in advance of the legislation commencing in the Houses of the Oireachtas, 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.

Medical card holders and certain cohorts of persons are exempt from these in-patient charges but legislation is needed to set out the legislative amendments required to the Health Act 1970 to abolish the public in-patient charge for all adults.

Funding for the measure was provided in Budget 2023.