The Department of Social Protection paid doctors almost €30 million last year to write medical certificates for social welfare recipients, it emerged yesterday.
The payments were made to GPs and other doctors for medical certificates and reports needed to support illness benefit and other medical claims, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said in a written parliamentary response to Labour TD Kevin Humphreys.
Employees can apply for illness benefit if they are sick for more than three days.
Doctors were paid €8.25 per cert issued in addition to the consultation fee for such reports.