Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Feb 1999

Vol. 499 No. 3

Written Answers - Social Welfare Fraud.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

290 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people removed from the live register for each of the years 1997 and 1998 on the grounds that they are not genuinely seeking work; and if he will separately indicate the numbers of those subsequently reinstated. [2853/99]

Minister for Social Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

To be entitled to an unemployment payment a person must satisfy a deciding officer that he or she fulfils, or continues to fulfil, the statutory conditions of being capable of, available for and genuinely seeking but unable to obtain suitable employment. Where a deciding officer decides following an interview with the person, that he or she does not to fulfil the conditions, the claim is formally disallowed.

The number of people whose claims were disallowed on the grounds that they failed to satisfy the statutory condition of being genuinely seeking but unable to obtain suitable employment was approximately 1,000 in 1997 and in excess of 2,000 in 1998. The corresponding figures for those regarded as "not available" were 5,000 and 6,500.

A person has a right of appeal against a decision to disallow his or her claim for failing to satisfy any of these conditions. Where the appeal is allowed the claim is reinstated.

Appeals statistics do not differentiate between the two categories of appeals. The following figures cover the number of appeals in relation to both categories for the years in question:

	1997	1998
Allowed	211	276
Disallowed	579	915
Partially allowed	58	52

Apart from those whose claims are specifically disallowed for failure to fulfil the conditions, substantial numbers of persons withdrew their claims or ceased claiming following interview by my Department. These are not included in the figures quoted above.