Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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145. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he will take to ensure that the charge of €80 which some hospital groups have imposed on persons with haemochromatosis requiring venesection will be ceased (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53509/17]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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149. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the charging of persons with haemochromatosis requiring venesection in certain hospital groups (details supplied); his plans to issue an instruction regarding ceasing the charge being imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53265/17]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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150. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to address the difficulties facing persons with haemochromatosis regarding the charge of €80 which certain hospital groups have imposed on those persons requiring venesection; his views on the petition signed by over 2,400 persons to have this charge removed; if he is in receipt of this petition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53266/17]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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157. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the new charges being imposed by certain hospital groups for the carrying out of venesection for persons with haemochromatosis; his views on whether it is acceptable that this can result in charges of up to €320 per month for these persons; if he will request the HSE to end these charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53313/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 149, 150 and 157 together.

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. Under the Health (In-Patients Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2008, a person who has been referred to a hospital for an in-patient service, including that provided on a day case basis, will have to pay the statutory daily charge, currently €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 per year. On this basis, where venesection is classed as a day case procedure and is not carried out in an out-patient setting, the public in-patient charge applies.

I confirm receipt of the petition in favour of removing the in-patient day case charge for haemochromatosis patients. I am aware of this issue and have asked officials in my Department to examine it, including the particular points made by the Irish Haemochromatosis Association, and to provide me with advice.