Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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187. To ask the Minister for Health the cost in 2017 and in a full year of reducing the prescription levy by 25%, 50% and 75% and of eliminating it altogether. [28015/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The estimated cost of reducing the medical card prescription charge by 25%, 50% and 75% is set out in the following table. The estimated cost of eliminating the charge is approximately €120 million per year.

These estimates assume a monthly cap of ten items per card holder and a linear relationship between the per-item charge and the cost of the reduction.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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188. To ask the Minister for Health the cost in 2017 of reducing prescription charges to €2 and separately, the cost of reducing to €1.50 and to €1 per prescription while retaining the cap of ten prescriptions as a maximum. [28030/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The estimated cost of reducing the medical card prescription charge to €2, €1.50 and €1 is set out in the following table.

These estimates assume a monthly cap of ten items per card holder and a linear relationship between the per-item charge and the cost of the reduction.