Prescriptions Charges

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Questions (1376, 1377)

Marie Sherlock

Question:

1376. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the estimated full year cost of abolishing all prescription charges under the GMS scheme. [39640/26]

View answer

Marie Sherlock

Question:

1377. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the estimated full year cost of reducing the drug payment scheme threshold to €72, €50, and €0 respectively. [39642/26]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1376 and 1377 together.

Affordable access to medicines is a priority for the Government.

Budgets 2021-2025 allocated €158 million for new drugs, and Budget 2026 allocated an additional €30 million. Since 2021, this has facilitated the introduction of 270 new medicines, 74 of which are for rare diseases.

The Year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.

There are a suite of measures to support individuals and households in Ireland with meeting their medicine and medical costs. Individuals and families in Ireland may be entitled to the following schemes:

• General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme (medical card). Eligibility for a medical card is determined by the HSE, in accordance with the provisions of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). In certain circumstances the HSE may exercise discretion and grant a medical card, even though an applicant exceeds the income guidelines, where he or she faces difficult financial circumstances, such as extra costs arising from illness.

• In circumstances where an applicant is still over the income limit for a medical card, they are then assessed for a GP visit card, which entitles the applicant to GP visits without charge.

• Under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The DPS is not means tested and is available to anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland.

• Individuals may also be able to claim tax relief on their medicines expenditure at the standard rate of 20%.

Details of the costs of such schemes are available at: PCRS - Reporting Menu

Establishing costs of any eligibility changes can be challenging due to a variety of reasons and will only take place in the context of budgetary decisions.

Question No. 1377 answered with Question No. 1376.