The removal of these fees is expected to cost the Irish Exchequer €32 million per year, representing just 0.18% of the HSE’s €20 billion annual budget.

Speaking to the Irish Mirror, a senior government official said: “Cabinet is set to sign off on the Health (Amendment) Bill 2023, which will abolish the statutory public inpatient charge, €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 in a year.

“This new legislation will mean that people will no longer be charged when accessing public inpatient care in our public hospitals.

“The removal of these charges, announced as part of Budget 2023, is an important step towards reducing the healthcare costs of patients and families.

“This measure builds on the abolition of public inpatient charges for children under 16, which was introduced in September last year.

“Funding (€21 million) was provided in Budget 2023 to remove public in-patient hospital charges, which is an important step towards reducing the healthcare costs of patients and families.

“The estimated full-year cost is up to €32m approximately.”