The Health Minister says the abolition of inpatient charges at public hospitals is to bring Ireland closer to universal healthcare.
There's currently an annual cap of €800 a year - charged at €80 a day.
Minister Stephen Donnelly, is bringing a memo to Cabinet today, seeking permission to draft new legislation to abolish the charges.
Minister Donnelly says he hopes the laws to scrap the charges will be in place by April.
He says the charges put an added strain on patients who are already sick, "The Irish Cancer Society has been advocating for this measure for many years."
"People who are suffering from cancer and are going through treatment, not only have they got to deal with all of that but then they get hit with a bill."
"We've heard stories of hospitals retaining debt collection agencies to recoup this money, and it's something we just need to see the end of."
Outpatient charges for those under-16, were abolished last year.
