Vol. 547 No. 1
590 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will outline the charges for non-EU nationals who attend casualty departments in public hospitals; and the way in which these charges compare to those in other EU countries. [1947/02]
671 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the charges to non-European Union nationals who attend casualty departments in public hospitals; and if he will provide a comparison to similar charges in other European Union countries. [2611/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 671 together.
Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on residency. Any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the health boards as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility, category 1, medical card holders, or limited eligibility, category 2, for health services. Health boards normally regard a person as ordinarily resident in Ireland if he or she satisfies the health board that it is his or her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year. Persons in category 1 are medical card holders and they are entitled to a full range of services including general practitioner services, prescribed drugs and medicines, all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultants' services, all out-patient public hospital services including consultants' services, dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances and a maternity and infant care service.
Persons in category 2 or non-medical-card holders are entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards, including consultants' services and out-patient public hospital services, including consultants' services. Attendance at accident and emergency departments is subject to a charge of 31.70 where the patient does not have a referral note from his or her doctor. This charge applies only to the first visit in any episode of care.
