Asylum seekers living in direct provision are to be exempted from paying the prescription charge of €2.50 per item levied on medical-card holders.
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said he has decided to exempt asylum seekers from the charge following an examination of the issue by his officials and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The change is being made in response to evidence that increases in the charge in recent years are having an adverse impact on people living in direct provision.
Some people are forgoing medication or choosing between multiple prescriptions because they cannot afford to pay for all of them from the €19.10 they receive in direct payments each week.
A spokesman says the department will make the necessary legislative changes so that the exemption can be implemented at the earliest opportunity.
Recommendations
The early introduction of an exemption was one of the recommendations made by a Department of Justice working group in a report published last week.
It pointed to the concerns of asylum seekers with chronic health issues about the affordability of paying the charge out of the €19.10 basic support.
Currently, medical-card holders have to pay a prescription charge of €2.50 per item, subject to a cap of €25 per month for each person or family.
The only exemptions that currently apply are for children in care of the HSE and methadone patients.
Those living in direct provision are entitled to apply for a medical card and to access the normal range of health services available to citizens.
