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

I am absolutely sure that 70% or in excess of 9,000 certificates coming into the Department every day are the new forms. I am also absolutely sure that we made it perfectly clear when we issued the circular to GPs on 6 August that we would pay for the new forms but we would also continue to pay in respect of the old forms until such time as all stock of the old forms in our GP offices and clinics was exhausted. Photocopies do not constitute an old form. We would have an issue paying people who submit photocopies of old forms because the Comptroller and Auditor General would not allow us to do so.

Photocopies do not have the required processes and protocols that we had in the old system. They are not an original form and are not, therefore, deemed eligible by the Department. The Department receives more than 9,000 new forms each day. Some general practitioners who have a stock of the old forms are still using them and we will continue to pay them. GPs are paid quarterly. I am not sure who is suggesting to the Deputy they are being paid for work they have not carried out. If the Deputy has any names, I would be very happy to follow up on the issue. We pay GPs four times a year. The last quarterly payment was made in November.

All GPs got the same letter. We did not send a letter to specifically thank those who moved to the new forms and exclude those who continued to use the existing stock of forms. All GPs were thanked for their co-operation in moving to a new system which it is hoped will provide better efficiencies for them and even greater efficiencies for recipients of illness benefit.

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