Vol. 434 No. 2
160 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a bounty or reward scheme is available to the public for information reported on cases of fraud or misleading claims against his Department; and if so, if he will give details of such a scheme.
The Department regularly receives complaints from members of the public concerning fraud and abuse of the social welfare system. These complaints are always investigated and action taken accordingly.
I should stress that some reports received are based on perceptions rather than actual abuse. For example, a person could be working in a self-employed capacity and be entitled to a reduced rate of payment. A neighbour might be aware that the person concerned was signing but would not know the rate of payment or the number of days being claimed for each week.
