Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 25th February, 2022.

I, STEPHEN DONNELLY, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 59 (as amended by section 3 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2017 (No. 5 of 2017)) of the Health Act 1970 (No. 1 of 1970), with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Services (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

(2) The Principal Regulations, the Health Services (Drug Payment Scheme) Regulations 2017 ( S.I. No. 577 of 2017 ) and these Regulations may be cited together as the Health Services Regulations 1972 to 2022.

2. These Regulations come into operation on 1 March 2022.

3. In these Regulations—

“Principal Regulations” means the Health Services Regulations 1972 ( S.I. No. 88 of 1972 );

“Regulations of 2021” means the Health Services (Amendment) Regulations 2021 ( S.I. No. 595 of 2021 ).

4. Regulation 6 (as amended by Regulation 4 of the Regulations of 2021) of the Principal Regulations is amended—

(a) in paragraph (1), by substituting “€80” for “€100”, and

(b) in paragraph (2), by substituting “€80” for “€100” in both places where it occurs.

5. The Regulations of 2021 are revoked.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

17 February, 2022.

MICHAEL MCGRATH,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

21 February, 2022.

STEPHEN DONNELLY,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations amend Regulation 6 of the Health Service Regulations 1972 (as substituted by Regulation 4 of the Health Services (Drug Payment Scheme) Regulations 2017, and subsequently amended by Regulation 4 of the Health Services (Amendment) Regulations 2021), by reducing the monthly co-payment threshold from €100 to €80 in any calendar month, for approved prescribed medicines or other items supplied under the Drug Payment Scheme.

The Regulations of 2021, which reduced the monthly co-payment from €114 to €100, are revoked and replaced by these Regulations.

These Regulations come into operation on 1 March 2022.