Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 May 1995

Vol. 452 No. 5

Written Answers. - Fraud Detection.

Robert Molloy

Ceist:

95 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people currently employed on anti-fraud and abuse in the social welfare system; the number of people prosecuted in 1994 for social welfare fraud; and the number of convictions obtained. [8267/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The detection of fraud and abuse of social welfare expenditure is an integral part of the work of my Department. There are approximately 570 staff specifically involved in these activities.

Any case involving abuse of the system is scrutinised with a view to initiating legal proceedings. Prosecutions are taken against employers who fail to carry out their statutory obligations, and persons who defraud the social welfare payments systems.

The total number of fraud prosecutions finalised in the courts in 1994 was 59, of which ten cases related to employer fraud. Convictions were obtained in 52 of these cases, seven of which related to employers.