Press release
Minister for Health welcomes the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 passing all stages in the Houses of the Oireachtas
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly has today welcomed the passing of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 through all stages in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill will now be referred to the President for his consideration and signature and will be enacted as soon as possible.
The Bill will introduce a number of health-related changes including:
Minister Donnelly said:
"I am delighted to finalise this important Bill. This Bill is necessary to prepare the way for some much-needed changes to medicines supply and access to medicines. It will enable us to be more agile in our responses to medicines shortages.
“I established a Taskforce on pharmacy and I have been clear that I want to further enhance the contribution that pharmacists make to our health services. This Bill will enable us to put secondary legislation in place to let community pharmacists start prescribing for common conditions. I will be getting the Taskforce’s final recommendations soon and I look forward to introducing more developments for pharmacy.
“This Bill will also progress government commitments under Housing for All, to remove potential barriers to participation in the Rent-a-Room scheme. This is an important intervention to ensure Rent-a-Room income does not impact assessments for medical cards and GP visit cards.
"I’d like to thank members across both Houses for supporting this legislation."
The Bill will now be referred to the President for signature and will be enacted as soon as possible.
Secondary legislation will now be developed to enable the provisions on medicines and expansion of the role of pharmacy, in consultation with stakeholders.
Enactment of this legislation will progress the Government’s commitments under Housing for All, to remove potential barriers to participating in the Rent-a-Room scheme. Rent-a-Room relief allows participants on the scheme to earn up to €14,000 per year, tax-free, if they rent out a room (or rooms) in their home for use as accommodation by others. Under current legislation and guidance, Rent-a-Room income would be counted during the assessment of a medical card application. This Bill inserts a specific exemption in the Health Act such that Rent-a-Room income (of up to €14,000 per annum) will not be included within the medical card and GP visit card assessment processes. This is an important addition to the much wider suite of measures Government has already introduced to respond to housing challenges.
The Irish Medicines Board Act 1995 provides for the regulation of the manufacture, production, preparation, importation, advertisement, sale, and distribution of medicinal and cosmetic products. The amendments proposed will support the Department of Health’s policy position on expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland and provide a primary legislative basis for the introduction of various actions to manage shortages of medicinal products, including in relation to visibility of the medicines supply chain to Ireland. Amendment of the Pharmacy Act 2007 ensures that the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the Pharmacy Regulator, may enhance their regulatory role in tandem with the expansion of the role of pharmacy. Measures enabled by the Bill will be subject to appropriate secondary legislation.