Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Commission on Taxation in its 2009 report recommended the retention of medical insurance relief but that it should be limited. The introduction of an upper ceiling on the amount of medical insurance premiums that qualify for tax relief achieves this recommendation. That is what we did in a previous Finance Bill.

This Government also supports citizens in retaining access to medical insurance throughout their lives through community rating of insurance premiums. This is effectively a minor adjustment to bring tax law into line with medical insurance practice in order that a child between 18 and 21 years gets a more generous benefit and is not cut off from the benefit at 18 years. The cost to the Exchequer, as my officials have said, is negligible.