S.I. No. 24/2026 - Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments In Respect of Optical Treatment Entitlements Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005) Regulations 2026

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 30th January, 2026.

I, DARA CALLEARY, Minister for Social Protection, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 42 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (No. 34 of 2017), being satisfied that subsection (6) of that section has been complied with; having complied with subsection (9) of that section; having had regard to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (10) of that section; with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments In Respect of Optical Treatment Entitlements Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005) Regulations 2026.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on 31 January 2026.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations—

“the Regulations of 2007” means the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007, S.I. No. 142 of 2007 .

Application

3. These Regulations shall apply to payments in respect of professional services rendered by optical practitioners with whom agreements, in accordance with Chapter 12 of Part 2 of the Regulations of 2007, have been made by the Minister for Social Protection relating to the provision of optical treatment for qualified persons entitled to treatment benefit by virtue of the Regulations of 2007 and section 138 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended).

Fees

4. The amounts of the payments specified in column 3 of Schedule 1 opposite the mention of the professional services specified in column 2 of that Schedule shall, subject to the related limitations specified in column 4 of the Schedule, be payable to an optical practitioner in respect of such services rendered by the optical practitioner to a person on or after 31 January 2026 where the person is entitled to treatment benefit by virtue of Chapter 12 of Part 2 of the Regulations of 2007.

5. The amounts of the payments specified in column 3 of Schedule 2 opposite the mention of the appliances specified in column 2 of that Schedule shall, subject to the related limitations specified in column 4 of the Schedule, be payable to an optical practitioner in respect of such appliances provided by the optical practitioner to a person on or after 31 January 2026 where the person is entitled to treatment benefit by virtue of Chapter 12 of Part 2 of the Regulations of 2007.

6. The amounts of the payments specified in column 3 of Schedule 3 opposite the mention of the repairs specified in column 2 of that Schedule shall, subject to the related limitations specified in column 4 of the Schedule, be payable to an optical practitioner in respect of such repairs provided by the optical practitioner to a person on or after 31 January 2026 where the person is entitled to treatment benefit by virtue of Chapter 12 of Part 2 of the Regulations of 2007.

SCHEDULE 1

Reference Number (1)	Professional Service (2)	Amount (3)	Limitation (4)
1.	Standard Eye Examination.	€36	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
2.	Domiciliary visit examination, GP certification required regarding mobility.	€72	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
3.	Eye Examination (with dilation).	€54.04	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
4.	Double Ophthalmic medical examination including dilation (ophthalmologist only).	€61.32	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
5.	Repeat examination, when clinically necessary.	€24	i. Payable only in respect of the person’s first three repeats every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
6.	Repeat examination, with dilation, when clinically necessary.	€36	i. Payable only in respect of the person’s first three repeats every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
7.	Repeat Double Ophthalmic Medical Exam including Dilation, when clinically necessary (ophthalmologist only).	€61.32	i. Payable only in respect of the person’s first three repeats every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.
8.	Repeat Domiciliary Eye Exam.	€72.00	i. Payable only in respect of the person’s first three repeats every second calendar year. ii. Not payable if any additional charge is sought from the person in respect of such an eye examination.

SCHEDULE 2

Reference Number (1)	Appliance (Spectacles/Contact Lenses) (2)	Amount (3)	Limitation (4)
1.	Distance single vision spectacles.	€42.37	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
2.	Reading single vision spectacles.	€42.37	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
3.	Bifocal/varifocal complete appliance.	€84.19	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
4.	Contact lenses (per pair).	€42.37	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Balance to be paid by person if the amount is higher.

SCHEDULE 3

Reference Number (1)	Repairs – Lenses to Own Frames (2)	Amount (3)	Limitation (4)
1.	One single vision lens distance/reading.	€16.46	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
2.	Two single vision lenses distance/reading.	€32.94	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
3.	One bifocal lens.	€37.43	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
4.	Two bifocal lenses.	€74.85	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.
5.	Frames to own lenses.	€12.17	i. Payable once every second calendar year. ii. Class 1 free to the person. iii. Non-scheduled balance to be paid by person.

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation consents to the foregoing Regulations.

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

23 January, 2026.

JACK CHAMBERS,

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services Reform and Digitalisation.

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

28 January, 2026.

DARA CALLEARY,

Minister for Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations set the payment levels in respect of services in connection with optical treatment rendered by optical practitioners to persons entitled to Treatment Benefit from the Department of Social Protection.

The new fee structure takes effect from 31 January 2026.