As the Deputy is aware, provision was made in the Social Welfare & Pension Act 2012 to allow for Social Welfare Inspectors to exercise certain functions at ports and airports for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Act. The powers came into effect on 7th June 2012. Since then, 122 cases have been detected at airports. The total amount of control savings resulting from these detections amounts to €1.35 m. In all of these cases, on-going payments will have been stopped without further Exchequer loss. Control savings estimate the future expenditure that would have been incurred but for this control work. Where there is evidence that an overpayment has arisen, the Department will actively pursue the recovery of such monies.
Resulting from the operation of these powers, there have been five cases prosecuted under Criminal Justice Legislation. All of these cases have been concluded before the courts and a total of €54,000 in respect of these cases was refunded to the Department. The Department adjusts its approach to control activity and fraud investigations in light of operational experience and all such activities are kept under on-going review, including its activity in airports. In this regard, access for additional officers to attend and operate in airports has been sought and, in the medium-term, it is intended to increase this activity.
