David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1832. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated additional cost of removing all inpatient charges for public hospital care. [35573/21]

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.