Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the practice of sending a €100 hospital invoice to grieving families in the aftermath of road traffic accidents; and if he will initiate the process to stop this practice. [14700/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Currently those exempted from the Emergency Department charge are persons with a medical card, persons who have a referral letter from a General Practitioner, a person whose attendance results in admission as an in-patient or other exemptions as provided for by the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No 45 of 2013) made under Section 56 of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The charge is currently €100 per visit.

The Emergency Department charge is levied as a contribution towards the costs of providing emergency services to all patients requiring treatment. There are no plans at the moment to review the exemptions to this charge.