Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of the removal of inpatient charges for public hospital care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26032/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Normal patient activity has been affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic and as a result 2020 is not representative of normal services,  and therefore the 2019 position would currently be the best representation of the likely costs associated with abolishing those service charges.

In 2019, €30.6 million was raised through the statutory inpatient charge in the Acute Hospitals. 

Therefore, it would cost approximately €30.6 million to abolish these charges.