I understand from Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, that the child in question has had his surgery carried out in the United Kingdom privately and has been discharged home.
Under arrangements for public hospital services introduced in June 1991, everyone, regardless of income, is entitled to public hospital and public consultant services subject only to modest statutory charges, from which medical card holders are exempt. At present these charges are set at £26 per night, subject to a maximum of £260 in any twelve month period, in respect of in-patient public hospital services. Hospital services are provided on the basis of medical need and clinical urgency.
Alternatively, one can opt to be the private patient of both the consultant and the hospital. Any patient, whether a medical card holder or not, who opts for treatment in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital is liable for the costs relating to such treatment, and neither my Department nor the health boards are in a position to provide financial assistance towards these costs.