Tipperary dentist sentenced for HSE deception – one-year jail term and a €100,000 payment order.
A county Tipperary dentist has been sentenced to a one-year custodial term and ordered to pay €100,000 to the Health Service Executive (HSE) after admitting deception-related offences connected to claims made under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme.
Mr Jerome Kiely, aged 47 years, of Acraboy House, Monard, Co Tipperary, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a number of sample charges of dishonestly inducing the HSE to make payments, including a claim of €326 for dentures, dated May 12th, 2015.
The court heard the HSE had placed trust in Mr Kiely as a practitioner, but that this trust was “misplaced”, Judge Martin Nolan said in delivering sentence. The judge accepted evidence that Mr Kiely has a history of depression and mental health difficulties, and also heard personal mitigation including a letter from his wife and references noting community involvement.
Judge Nolan imposed a three-year sentence, suspending the final two years subject to conditions. These include payment of €100,000 to the HSE within three months; a figure the court noted exceeds the amount proven and was described as an additional punitive element.
The court also heard that two bank accounts in Mr Kiely’s name, reported as containing approximately €830,000 and €667,000, have been frozen.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme enables eligible adult medical card holders to access dental treatments and appliances through participating dentists.
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