The Indo Daily: Investigation – sick certs over WhatsApp that are 'open to exploitation'
However, recent years have seen a new method emerge, with numerous online outlets providing a digital version of the all-important medical certificate - without the need for rudimentary practices like an in-person consultation.
The Department of Social Protection doesn't approve of such methods, but your employer has little choice but to go along with it.
A new investigation by the Irish Independent explores the process of applying for a digital sick cert, the pros and cons of taking this approach and the potential risks and exploitation in play.
On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent multimedia reporters Darragh Nolan and Maeve McTaggart, and by social affairs correspondent with the Irish Independent Amy Molloy, to break down their examination of an increasingly popular digital system.
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Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Medical Council urged to review how sick certs are being issued online with no phone or video consultations
Fine Gael TD, Frank Feighan, said there are 'serious issues and concerns' among employers and argued the online system is 'wide open to abuse'. The Sligo-Leitrim politician raised the matter in the Dáil on Wednesday afternoon following an Irish Independent investigation earlier this week. 'When it comes to someone's health, it is vital that a consultation takes place between a doctor and patient,' he said. 'From a medical practitioner's point of view, an employer's point of view and patient safety, there are some serious issues and concerns here.' Mr Feighan said he was aware that health minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, had been in touch with the Irish Medical Council about the matter and 'hoped some action will be taken following the interaction'. Minister MacNeill said 'it is an issue for enterprise, social protection and indeed health'. 'The Medical council is there to protect the public. Part of that is registering doctors and part of that is making sure they are operating to a very high standard. 'I would encourage the Medical Council to reflect on the issue that you have correctly highlighted, recognising the impact it may have on employers, particularly small businesses, and I can assure you that everyone in Government takes a strong interest in this'. The Irish Independent investigation revealed how employers are having to accept digital sick certs issued without any phone or video consultations being carried out by doctors - even though the Department of Social Protection refuses them for social welfare schemes because they do not meet the standard required. Certs are being advertised on some medical websites for between €25 and €45, with students and employees required to fill out an online questionnaire to allow their request to be reviewed. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more When Irish Independent reporters applied to six websites for sick certs complaining of headaches and flu symptoms, three arranged a phone call with a GP. Four of the sites did not ask for proof of identification and all provided a cert within a short timeframe. Medical professionals say that digital certification helps keep infectious people out of clinics and workplaces, and frees up scarce GP time. While the Irish Medical Council's guidelines do not require live interaction before a doctor signs off on a sick cert, concerns have been raised that the online system may be open to exploitation. Certs are also being provided to Irish students and employees by doctors based in countries outside the EU, who do not appear to be registered with the Irish Medical Council. The Sick Leave Act states certs have to be signed by GPs registered to practice here. The Irish Medical Council has been contacted for comment.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Irish Times
Rising number of neurodivergent children on disability payments prompts welfare dependency fears
Fears are growing that a continued rise in the number of neurodivergent children on disability payments will see more transitioning to welfare dependency in their teens and into poverty in adulthood. The concerns come as the number of people receiving domiciliary care allowance – a monthly, non-means-tested benefit to carers of disabled children – continues to increase. Unpublished data, provided to The Irish Times under Freedom of Information legislation, shows numbers getting the allowance are up as much as 46 cent in some areas in the last five years. The total number of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) recipients at the end of 2024 was 57,364 – 30 per cent higher than in 2020 when the total was 44,279, and 110 per cent higher than in 2014 when 27,268 people received the payment. READ MORE The continued upward trajectory in numbers getting the €360-a-month payment has been described as 'a concern' by Department of Social Protection officials. They say 'much of the increase' is accounted for by increasing diagnoses of neurodivergence in children, particularly autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their worry centres around data indicating 'more than 50 per cent of children in respect of whom DCA is paid transition on to a disability payment on reaching age 16″, says a briefing note for Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary , published in February. 'Dependency on a disability payment is negatively correlated with employment take-up and positively correlated with poverty and social exclusion.' Ireland has one of the highest rates of unemployment among disabled people in Europe, an issue the department is seeking to address as it urges employers to explore supports, such as the Wage Subsidy Scheme, which assists with employing people with disabilities. Increases in DCA are more dramatic in some counties, the unpublished data shows. In Co Meath, for example, numbers are up 46 per cent in the five years to 2024, from 1,818 to 2,649. In Co Cavan the increase is 43.3 per cent (651 to 933); in Co Kilkenny it is 41.6 per cent (773 to 1,095) and in Co Laois the increase is 40.6 per cent (948 to 1,333). In Dublin numbers are up 32.4 per cent since 2020 – from 10,795 to 14,303; in Cork they are up 25 per cent – from 6,130 to 7,706, and, in Limerick the increase is 22.7 per cent, from 2,303 to 2,826 in five years. [ 'The psychiatrist didn't believe in ADHD': People with condition struggle with the health system Opens in new window ] Despite department concerns, advocacy groups such as ADHD Ireland say the increases do not even reflect the true rate of neurodivergence. 'We are coming from a very, very low base,' says Ken Kilbride, chief executive of the charity, and the father of a young person with autism. 'The figures have not yet caught up with the reality. Of the estimated 5 per cent [of the population with ADHD] maybe just 10 per cent have been assessed and treated,' said Mr Kilbride. He said correctly diagnosing and supporting neurodivergent children would save money in the long term, as they would be less likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression, less likely to be in mental health services, more likely to be in employment and less dependent on welfare in adulthood. He estimated the socioeconomic cost of undiagnosed, untreated adult ADHD was about €1.8 billion a year in Ireland – in lost earnings, and so lower tax pay by individuals, and in health supports. 'So finding these disabilities in children, treating them and supporting their parents is saving hundreds of millions for the HSE and the society.' [ What happens when your therapist or GP asks: 'Have you ever wondered if you might be neurodivergent?' Opens in new window ] A department spokesman said: 'The growth in DCA recipients aligns with broader trends seen in carer's allowance and disability allowance, reflecting an overall rise in the number of individuals requiring care. 'A number of factors may contribute to this increase, including population growth, changing demographics and increasing awareness of the scheme in communities. 'The number and percentage of DCA recipients whose condition falls into the category of mental and behavioural diseases is increasing year on year, with a significant increase in the diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnostic criteria for ASD have been lowered in the last few years. 'The department closely monitors trends and statistics, ensuring its schemes are regularly reviewed for effectiveness and financial sustainability.'
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily: Investigation – sick certs over WhatsApp that are 'open to exploitation'
A quick visit to your GP should do the trick, leaving you with the vital document to present to your boss. Job done, back to bed, get well soon. However, recent years have seen a new method emerge, with numerous online outlets providing a digital version of the all-important medical certificate - without the need for rudimentary practices like an in-person consultation. The Department of Social Protection doesn't approve of such methods, but your employer has little choice but to go along with it. A new investigation by the Irish Independent explores the process of applying for a digital sick cert, the pros and cons of taking this approach and the potential risks and exploitation in play. On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent multimedia reporters Darragh Nolan and Maeve McTaggart, and by social affairs correspondent with the Irish Independent Amy Molloy, to break down their examination of an increasingly popular digital system.
