Medical card assessment to disregard €14k-rent-a room scheme income

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will seek government approval for the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 which will see current or potential medical card holders availing of the scheme in a bid to expand the scheme and help the housing crisis.

People who receive up to €14,000 a year under the rent-a-room scheme will have the money disregarded when being assessed for a medical card, under plans being brought to Cabinet.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will seek government approval for the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 which will see current or potential medical card holders availing of the scheme in a bid to expand the scheme and help the housing crisis. Mr Donnelly’s legislation will also enhance access to contraception and remove the need for GP visits in some circumstances, by expanding the role of pharmacists in the State.

By amending previous legislation, it will enable pharmacists to sell and supply approved medicines without the need for a prescription, such as for minor ailments. This should also allow pharmacists to supply Oral Contraceptive Pills without prescription.

A further amending provision will allow the minister to implement Medicines Substitution Protocols on a time limited basis to help mitigate the impact of medicines shortages. It will allow pharmacists to supply a specified therapeutic alternative medicinal product in limited circumstances where a prescribed medicine is the subject of a shortage. If approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, it is intended to publish the legislation shortly and have it enacted by the Oireachtas before the summer break.

The number of ATMs will have to remain at 2022 levels under proposals being brought by Finance Michael McGrath. Mr McGrath will also update Cabinet on Ireland’s bid to be the home of the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority.

Hearings on the competition will take place in Brussels next week, with Dublin in competition with a number of other countries to be the home of the new, 400-job agency.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Norma Foley is bringing a cabinet memo for information about the submission of the latest action plan to the European Court of Human Rights on the implementation of Louise O’Keeffe judgement. It provides details of implementation of child protection procedures in schools and an update on the compensation scheme put in place for victims of sexual abuse in schools, set up in 2014 after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the State failed to protect Cork woman Louise O’Keeffe.

It is also understood that Cabinet will sign off on the draft wording for a referendum on Ireland joining the Unified Patent Court, which could be held later this year.