The A&E charge which is currently €100, is provided for by the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 1994 (as amended). The charge applies to persons attending Accident and Emergency and Casualty Departments subject to exemptions set out in these regulations, including medical card holders and those who have a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner. A "registered medical practitioner" is defined by the Medical Practitioner Act 2007, as a medical practitioner whose name is on the register maintained by the medical council in Ireland under the provisions of Section 43 (1) of the 2007 Act.