Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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339. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to end charges for venesections for those with haemochromatosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53612/17]

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. 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 have received a petition calling for the removal of the €80 charge for venesection in respect of haemochromatosis patients and have asked officials in my Department to examine this matter.