Vol. 470 No. 2
85 Mr. Foley asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of prosecutions processed by the courts to date in relation to overpayments of social insurance and social assistance; the number of cases under consideration for prosecution within his Department in regard to overpayments of social insurance and social assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16887/96]
The detection of fraud and abuse of social welfare payments is an integral part of the day to day work of my Department, which has a programme of ongoing specialist control activities under way as part of its drive against fraud, abuse and unwarranted recourse to social welfare. These control activities, include specific investigation units which work at local, regional and national level within the Department.
These units, one of which works in conjunction with staff of the Revenue Commissioners, carry out inspections of employers in relation to their PRSI obligations, investigate cases of concurrent working and claiming of social welfare payments, review customers' means for assistance payments and monitor their on-going entitlements to social welfare payments.
Persons who defraud social welfare payment schemes and employers who fail to honour their obligations under the PRSI system are liable to prosecution. All cases involving fraud or abuse of the social welfare system are examined with a view to initiating legal proceedings.
A total of 50 social welfare prosecutions were finalised by the courts between 1 January 1996 and 30 September 1996. Of these, 28 were people who were in receipt of payments, while 22 were employers. The results were, 25 received fines, six the Probation Act, four community service, eight a suspended sentence, one was bound to the peace, two were imprisoned and four were struck out. There are 83 cases, including 11 employers, currently under consideration for prosecution.
