Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 3

Written Answers. - Fraud Detection.

Máirín Quill

Question:

42 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of fraud detected by his Department in all schemes for each of the years from 1990 to 1992; the amount of money outstanding by way of overpayments; and the number of cases prosecuted.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The information requested, in so far as it is available, is set out in tabular form and will be made available to the Deputy.

Separate figures are not maintained in respect of outstanding amounts of fraud (as distinct from non fraud) over-payments.

Fraud Detected by Department of Social Welfare

Year	No. of Cases	Total Value	Prosecutions Initiated
		£m
1990	7,770	7.6	138
1991	6,365	6.8	13
1992	6,963*	7.4*	28

* Provisional

Notes

1. The figures for prosecution are in respect of cases authorised for prosecution and forwarded to the Chief State Solicitor's office.

2. The drop in prosecutions is mainly accounted for by the amnesty which operated in 1991.