Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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854. To ask the Minister for Health if retired pensioners from the UK living in Ireland are exempt from paying the prescription charge under the EU Social Security/Bilateral Agreement with the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52047/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the social security provisions of the EU UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA), a person for whom the UK is competent is, if they move to live in Ireland, entitled to a medical card under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme if they meet the following requirements:

- ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland and,

- insured under the social security legislation of another EU/EEA member state, Switzerland or UK; i.e. receiving a social security pension from that state or working and paying social insurance in that state

- not subject to Irish social security legislation. A person is subject to Irish social security legislation if they are receiving a contributory Irish social welfare payment or are subject to PRSI in the Irish State.

Prescription charges were introduced in the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2010, to address the rising costs in the GMS scheme.

On 1 November 2020, prescription charges under the GMS scheme were reduced as follows:

- For persons over 70, the charges were reduced to €1 per item with a maximum monthly charge of €10.

- For persons under 70, the charges were reduced to €1.50 per item with a maximum monthly charge of €15.

The prescription charges for UK pensioners living in Ireland who possess a medical card are equivalent to those paid by Irish pensioners in receipt of a medical card.