Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of reducing the medical card prescription charge by one euro; and the estimated cost of abolishing prescription charges [27254/19]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of extending free prescription medicines to the entire population and of abolishing prescription charges. [27266/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 156 together.

The estimated cost of reducing the prescription charge by one euro for all medical card holders is €47 m.

The estimated cost of abolishing prescription charges is €82 m.

It is not possible to estimate the additional cost of extending free prescription medicines to the entire population as the HSE does not have reliable data in relation to sub-threshold DPS and private dispensing.