Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not know whether Deputy O'Dea is aware of the long-standing relationship - it has existed for many years - between my Department and GPs. We rely on them not only for illness benefit, but also for carer's benefit and a variety of other schemes. They are an invaluable resource to both the people they serve and to the Department. We have never, ever told anyone to get on with anything, so I do not know who is giving Deputy O'Dea his information but it is not quite accurate. Our relationship with individual GPs is based on individual contracts. There are no representative bodies with which we negotiate or mediate. We deal directly with our GPs. However, out of respect for the long-standing framework that has existed in this country, of which Deputy O'Dea is well aware, and which was established by Fianna Fáil many years ago, and perhaps to flag potential issues we ourselves within the Department would not have seen, we did have discussions with the IMO. Those discussions were fruitful and, notwithstanding other issues and other new efficiencies that will be discussed over the coming months, the IMO instructed its GPs that they should move ahead with the new, more efficient process being enabled by the Department to ensure the efficiencies provided by the GPs and the Department result in expedited claims and payments for the clients who rely on them. This is exactly what happened for all the GPs who used the new forms that were scanned in. Normally one must wait a week and get paid a week in arrears on an illness payment. People are now getting paid on day two. There are huge efficiencies, and I am very grateful to all the GPs who have come on board. I apologise to the Acting Chairman for rabbiting on. To answer Deputy O'Dea's question, I do not have a percentage, but the vast majority of claims coming in to us daily are on the new scannable forms.

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