Written answers
Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Department of Health
Prescriptions Charges
David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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387. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of reducing prescription charges to €0 in increments of €0.50 for people aged under 70 years and people aged 70 years and older. [30397/24]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Prescription charges were introduced in the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2010. On 1 November 2020, prescription charges were reduced as follows:
- For those aged over 70, €1.00 per item with a maximum charge of €10 per month.
- For those aged under 70, €1.50 per item with a maximum charge of €15 per month.
| Prescription charge level | €1.00 | €0.50 | €0.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| People aged 70 and over | - | €24.4m | €48.7m |
| People aged under 70 | €15.3m | €23.2m | €46.5m |
| Total cost | €15.3m | €47.6m | €95.2m |
These costings do not take account of changes in demographics or in eligibility (e.g., changes in the number of medical card holders). It also does not take account of how a reduction in prescription charges may impact claimant behaviour.
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