Income from the rent-a-room scheme will no longer be counted as relevant for people applying for a medical card, under plans being brought to Cabinet by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
The Cabinet meets on Tuesday morning to consider the plans as well as separate proposals which would allow women to secure the contraceptive pill from pharmacies.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath will also outline plans to ensure sufficient access to ATM services across the country.
Under Mr Donnelly’s proposals, people will be able to rent out rooms in their home without this income being counted towards assessments for medical cards. The measures will come into force under the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024, which provides for a disregard of such income of up to €14,000 a year from medical card assessment.
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[ Falling outside rules on rent-a-room scheme can prove costlyOpens in new window ]
It will mean that medical card holders or people who want to apply for a medical card could have income of up to €1,166 a month without it being counted during applications for medical cards.
The Government is hoping that the new income disregard will help to remove barriers towards a wider utilisation of the rent-a-room scheme, and this could help more properties to become available to rent.
Under other legislation being proposed by Mr Donnelly, women will be able to benefit from better access to contraception. This will remove the need for GP visits in some circumstances, by expanding the role of pharmacists in the State.
Mr Donnelly plans to amend previous legislation from 1995 to enable pharmacists to sell and supply approved medicines without the need for a prescription, such as for minor ailments like conjunctivitis. This would also allow pharmacists to supply oral contraceptive pills without prescription.
He is also due to bring plans to Cabinet to mitigate against the impact of medicines shortages. This would see pharmacists allowed supply a specified therapeutic alternative medicinal product in limited circumstances where a prescribed medicine is the subject of a shortage.
Mr McGrath will also bring plans to Cabinet to ensure adequate access to cash around the country. He will tell Ministers that there are currently only three retail banks in Ireland where previously there were 12. His memo will state that cash usage has also declined.
In the year prior to the pandemic, just under €20 billion was withdrawn from ATMs in the State, while the figure for 2022 was about €13.5 billion, a decline of just under a third.
In terms of ATM transactions, the decline from pre-pandemic to 2022 is nearly 45 per cent, while the average value per withdrawal has increased to €154.
[ Absence of ATMs and bank branches would be ‘detrimental’ to wellbeingOpens in new window ]
Mr McGrath will say that while there are changes in the use of cash, it is still an important means of payment especially for older people and those on low incomes.
Sources have said the legislation will ensure that access to cash is maintained initially at December 2022 levels, accounting for the exit of KBC and Ulster Bank by placing an obligation in this regard on retail banks.
The new legislation will define what reasonable access to cash is – but the Minister will put in regulations what the criteria is for eight different geographical regions.
The legislation will set the minimum numbers of ATMs per 100,000 people, and will outline the proportion within 10km of an ATM and a cash service point, whether banks or post offices. Responsibility for compliance will rest with the designated entities who will be the three main retail banks in the first instance.
Is is understood that the Bill will also provide for the remedying of so called “local deficiencies” – locations within a region where particular difficulties arise in accessing cash. The Central Bank will assess such cases and, where warranted, could require the designated entities to address the issue.
The legislation will also for the first time require ATM operators and cash-in-transit companies to be authorised and supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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