I am aware that officers of a special investigation unit in my Department carried out routine investigations of unemployment payments recipients in Ardfinnan in the week commencing 18 May 1992.
Two officers attended at the Ardfinnan Community Hall on Tuesday morning, 19 May 1992, and accepted 177 unemployment payment dockets which would normally have been handed in at the local Garda station. In accepting the dockets the officers briefly spoke to all those who attended to verify that each person presenting the docket was the person named on it and each one understood and complied with the conditions for receipt of unemployment payments. Where it was considered necessary to go into detail regarding the person's entitlement a written request was issued to the person to attend for interview at Ardfinnan Community Hall, at a specified date and time.
Over two days, 20 and 21 May 1992, the two officers conducted 64 such interviews at the Community Hall. The interviewing was carried out in two separate rooms to ensure privacy and confidentiality. These officers operate under a written code of conduct, one element of which specifically relates to client privacy. The procedures followed are specifically designed with the dignity and privacy of the unemployed person in mind.