The government's considering plans to abolish hospital inpatient and outpatient charges.
A spokesperson for the Health Minister says subject to funding in October's budget, the change could take effect next year.
The move would particularly benefit patients who have to repeatedly attend hospitals for treatment. It would see charges, like the 80 euro-a-day fee for hospital stays or day-case procedures removed for those who don't have health insurance or a medical card.
However the 100 euro charge at emergency departments would remain.
Stephen McMahon from the Irish Patients Association, is welcoming the plan to scrap the charges and says hospital fess can amount to hundreds of euro for people.
"People may be under financial stress and the problem is when they couldn't afford it, that the debt collectors were sent to recover those fees and it became an even greater stress"
He added: "There's a huge number of other areas that are under demand as well too but it is important that the minister follows through on this and with the current economic climate it may be that the offset of this must be in more efficiencies within the way the system is delivered"
