There are two categories of support: in a first category, people on low income receiving the Medical Card giving them access to free health care; in a second category, citizens receiving partial support from the public health care system and sharing costs of health care.

Citizens of the European Economic Area benefit from the same level of coverage as Irish citizens.

The public health care system is sometimes criticized in Ireland because waiting times for care can be fairly long, but also because of the lack of health practitioners and hospital staff.

As a result, many Irish people opt for a private health insurance and choose to get treatments from private hospitals or clinics.

A private insurance package is sometimes provided by the employer, but you can find affordable private insurance packages from ? 50 or ? 100 per month. The offer is wide, it's up to you to find the insurance that best meets your needs.

Citizens of the EU are covered in Ireland through their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Health related costs in the country will be taken in charge in the same conditions as for Irish nationals. If you don't have an EHIC, visit your national health fund to get some information before leaving for Ireland.