Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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948. To ask the Minister for Health when a €75 public charge was introduced for an appointment for necessary chemotherapy treatment; and if this is a policy of any hospital that provides this necessary public health service. [13812/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all people ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to  public in-patient hospital services including consultant services and to public out-patient hospital services. As provided for by the Health (Amendment) Act 2013, the current public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €80 per night, subject to a maximum of €850 in any twelve consecutive months.

These Regulations also underpin charges for persons admitted to hospital as a day case, i.e. the public in-patient charge also applies to in-patient day cases. On this basis, where chemotherapy is classed as a day case procedure and is not carried out in an out patient setting, the public in-patient charge applies.