Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 17 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Fraud.

Dermot Ahern

Question:

130 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who have been prosecuted for fraud in 1995 and to date in 1996; the number of people in each of the categories of social welfare allowances/benefits who are required to make repayments in these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18893/96]

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

132 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will issue a directive on fraud to all people on unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit; and his views on whether such a directive will yield positive results. [18952/96]

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

133 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views on the disparity between the Central Statistics Office figures and the live register figures; and if his Department has quantified this disparity as fraud existing within the social welfare system. [18953/96]

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

134 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare the mechanisms he intends to put in place to eradicate fraud within the social welfare system. [18954/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 130, 132, 133 and 134 together.

The increasing divergence between the estimates of unemployment levels emerging from the labour force survey and live register has been a matter for concern to the Government for some time. It was in an effort to elucidate the reasons for this divergence that the CSO was asked to carry out the recent special survey. While the survey was not undertaken directly to identify the level of fraud in the unemployment payments system, and while the divergence between the labour force survey and the live register figures can be to a significant extent accounted for by factors other than possible fraud, nevertheless the findings of the survey give rise to concern in relation to the possible extent of fraud in the unemployment payments system.

In the light of the indications emerging from the survey I am arranging for a further examination to be carried out to make a better assessment of the level of fraud and to enable the Department to deal more effectively with it.

A package of enhanced measures to tackle social welfare fraud and abuse, of the unemployment payments system is already being implemented. This package which I have already outlined in replies to early questions is designed to intensify our existing efforts and introduce new procedures.

Number of Persons who made refunds in 1995.

	Number of Cases
Assistance Schemes
Unemployment Assistance	6,732
Old Age Pension (N/C)	807
Lone Parent-Unmarried	482
Child Benefit	1,179
Lone Parent-Separated	40
Family Income Supplement	787
Widow's & Orphan's (N/C)	48
Pre-Retirement Allowance	122
Carer's Allowance	40
L.P. Prisoner + P.W.A.	14
Deserted Wife's Allow.	24
Lone Parent-Widowed	10
Special Equal Treatment	9
Rent Allowance	5
Free Fuel Allowances	2
Other Free Schemes	1
Back to Work Allowance	3
Part Time Job Allowance	2
Single Woman's Allow	2
Sub Totals	10,309
Benefit Schemes
Unemployment Benefit	4,520
Disability Benefit	3,133
Invalidity Pension	583
Old Age (Con.) Pension	211
Survivors (Con.) Pension	88
Deserted Wife's Benefit	29
Retirement Pension	142
Pay Related Benefit	*421
Injury Benefit	142
Equal Treatment	302
Maternity Benefit	32
Disablement & Unemploy Sup	80
Treatment Benefits	1
Medical Care	2
Redundancy & Insolvency	1
Sub Totals	9,687
Total Assistance + Benefit	19,996

*May include persons who are making refunds under other schemes.