The social welfare amnesty which I announced in June was designed to add impetus to the ongoing successful drive by my Department against fraud and abuse of the system. It offered people who were defrauding the social welfare system a final opportunity to come clean and pay up what is due to the taxpaying public.
The amnesty against prosecution applied to employers, the self-employed and social welfare recipients who co-operated with my Department and put their affairs in order.
It is not possible at this stage to supply final figures in respect of social welfare recipients who applied for the amnesty. However, up to mid-September some 475 people had made inquiries to my Department about the amnesty. A further 174 people under investigation by my Department when the amnesty was announced were given the opportunity of availing of it.
In excess of 200 people claiming social welfare payments have applied for the benefits of the amnesty and these cases are now being processed. Exact savings figures are not available in respect of these cases.
The collection of PRSI arrears and the imposition of penalties in respect of those arrears is primarily a matter for the office of the Revenue Commissioners. The tax amnesty which includes an amnesty from penalties on arrears of PRSI for employers and the self-employed, provides for the payment of all arrears of tax and PRSI due by 14 January 1994.
The majority of employers and self-employed wishing to avail of the amnesty in respect of their outstanding PRSI liability have to contact their local tax office to have their applications considered. My Department does not have statistics on people claiming the tax amnesty in respect of outstanding PRSI liabilities.
The social welfare amnesty is part of a package of control measures introduced by me over the last few years. I am satisfied that the amnesty has contributed to the on-going efforts by my Department to stamp out social welfare fraud.