S.I. No. 402/1999 - Health (Out-Patient Charges) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Health (Out-Patient Charges) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of January, 2000.

3. Article 4 of the Health (Our-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1994 (

S.I. No. 37 of 1994

) (as amended by Article 3 of Health (Out-Patient Charges) (Amendment) Regulations, 1997 (

S.I. No. 509 of 1997

) is hereby amended by the substitution of £25 for £20 in sub-article (2).

The Minister for Finance consents to these regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 14th day of December, 1999.

CHARLIE McCREEVY,

Minister for Finance.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 16th day of December, 1999.

BRIAN COWEN,

Minister for Health and Children.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations amend the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations, 1994 and 1997 by raising the charge from £20 to £25 in respect of attendance at accident and emergency or casualty departments where the person concerned has not been referred by a medical practitioner. The charge shall not apply where such an attendance results in hospital admission. The usual exemptions, which include medical card holders, and hardship provision shall continue to apply. The increase in the charge comes into effect on 1st January, 2000.

The Minister for Health and Children in exercise of the powers conferred on him by

section 5

of the

Health Act, 1947

(No. 28 of 1947) and

section 56

of the

Health Act, 1970

(No. 1 of 1970) as substituted by

section 1

of the

Health (Amendment) Act, 1987

(No. 3 of 1987) as adapted by the Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1997 (

No. 308 of 1997

) with the consent of the Minister for Finance hereby makes the following regulations:—