(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department suspend social welfare payments on receipt of anonymous communications.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Suspension of Social Welfare Payments.
20.
Whether, on receipt of an anonymous communication, payment is suspended in any particular case depends on the circumstances. In relation to most of the schemes the practice is not to suspend payment pending investigation.
(Cavan): Would the Minister agree that in some cases, for instance, in the case of disability benefit, payment is suspended pending investigation and that it sometimes turns out there is no foundation at all for the communication and that payment is then resumed? Would the Minister not think it would be more appropriate to make some inquiries locally before acting on foot of these anonymous and sometimes mischievous communications?
My information is that in the case of disability benefit, payment is not usually stopped at the outset. I should point out that a large number of these communications are found to be well-founded, but I do agree that payment should not be stopped until an investigation has been made.
Surely anonymous communications should be thrown in the wastepaper basket?
It would not be in the public interest to do that.
Indeed it would be.
They have been found to be well-founded on many occasions.
So the common informer system is still in operation?
(Cavan): Would the Minister consider arrangements for an on-the-spot investigation before acting on these communications in future?
Yes. I think payment should not be stopped until the matter has been investigated.
The Minister appreciates that this happens particularly in the case of unemployment assistance and it takes up to two months to have the complaint made in the anonymous letter investigated, which is a severe hardship.
Apparently that grew up in these particular cases because the complaints are usually well-founded, but I agree that in future payment should not be stopped until an investigation has been made.
Will the Minister go further and assure the House he will take steps to see payment will not be suspended?
Yes.
That is an improvement.