Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on waiving the accident and emergency charge for persons who attend A&E as a result of being victims of crime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24786/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health (Out-Patient Charges) (Amendment) Regulations, 2008, provide for a statutory charge of €100 for attendance at Accident and Emergency Departments. This charge is levied only for persons who attend at Accident and Emergency Departments without a referral note from their doctor and applies only for the first visit of any episode of care. This applies to everyone receiving treatment in a public hospital with the exception of, inter alia, persons with full eligibility, women receiving services in respect of motherhood, children up to the age of six weeks and children suffering from prescribed long term diseases.

There are no plans at present to exempt any further category of persons from the A&E charge.