Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 6th January, 2015.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 (amended by section 4 of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2012 (No. 45 of 2012)) and section 10 (amended by section 4 of the Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2008 (No. 6 of 2008)) of the Health Insurance Act 1994 (No. 16 of 1994), hereby make the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Insurance Act 1994 (Minimum Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of January 2015.

2. In these Regulations, "Principal Regulations" means the Health Insurance Act 1994 (Minimum Benefit) Regulations 1996 ( S.I. No. 83 of 1996 ).

3. Schedule A to the Principal Regulations is amended, in paragraph 1, by the substitution of the following sub-paragraph for sub-paragraph (2):

"

".

4. Schedule A to the Principal Regulations is amended, in paragraph 1, by the substitution of the following sub-paragraph for sub-paragraph (4):

"

".

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

23 December 2014.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These regulations clarify that the amount of the charge payable under Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 is payable in respect of services provided in a publicly funded hospital.