Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1139. To ask the Minister for Health the provision being made to waive the accident and emergency charge for public patients during the Covid-19 pandemic in circumstances in which a patient has had no other option to attend accident and emergency for care due to restricted access to other care options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15348/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2019 provides that, subject to certain exemptions, a charge shall be made for out-patient services provided at designated centres including an emergency department (€100) and a minor injury unit (€75). These exemptions include a person with a medical card, a person who has a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner, a person receiving services for the diagnosis or treatment of an infectious disease prescribes under part IV of the Health

On the 20th February 2020, the Minister for Health signed the 'Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020' to include Covid-19 on the list of notifiable infectious diseases. As a consequence, a person receiving services for the diagnosis or treatment of Covid-19 is exempt from the statutory €100 Emergency Department (and €75 Minor Injury Unit) charge.

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