Medical Cards and GP visit cards can be applied for at your local health office. They are both means tested on your take home pay minus some childcare, mortgage, medical and travel to work costs. A medical card entitles you to receive all health services for free. A GP visit card covers cost of doctor appointments only. Information on income limits and other qualification criteria can be found at http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/entitlement-to-health-services/medical_card

Drug Payment Scheme: Under the Drugs Payment Scheme you have to pay a maximum of €120 a month for approved prescribed prescription costs on medicines and certain appliances for use by yourself and your family in that month. Application forms for this scheme are available from pharmacies and your local health office.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF): Public patients who have seen a consultant and have been waiting 3 months for a procedures in a public hospital can apply to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The NTPF will arrange for patients on public hospital waiting lists to be treated in private hospitals here, in the UK and some other countries. The maximum waiting list once you have contacted the NTPF is 3 months. Further information can be found at http://www.ntpf.ie/

Hospital Charges: If you go to the out-patients or A&E of a public hospital without being referred there by your GP you may be charged €100 if you do not have a medical card Public in-patient charges are €75 per day up to a maximum of €750 every year unless you have a medical card. Private patients can be charged as much as €984.60 per night. Further information on hospital charges is available at http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/hospital-services/hospital_charges