Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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442. To ask the Minister for Health if the emergency department charge will be waived for the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis through emergency departments in view of the fact that in many areas of the country there is no alternative service through which to access it. [10460/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2013, provide that, subject to specified exemptions, a charge shall be made for out-patient services provided at an emergency department, or any other facility providing similar services, in respect of the first occasion the service is provided in relation to each episode of care.

The Regulations sets out a number of categories of persons who are exempt from this charge including: a person with full eligibility; a child up to the age of 6 weeks; a child in respect of prescribed diseases of a permanent or long term nature; a person who has a letter of referral from a registered general practitioner, and a person whose attendance results in admission as an in-patient.

I have no plans to amend the provisions in relation to the application of this charge.