My Department has a comprehensive control programme which includes checks and reviews carried out on a regular and targeted basis to ensure that social welfare payments are only received by those who are entitled to them and that employers and the self-employed are fulfilling their PRSI obligations. Over the years, the reorganisation of my Department's structures and ongoing technology developments have combined to facilitate a more co-ordinated, more focused and more effective approach to control.
There are more than 600 staff working full-time or part-time on fraud and abuse control activities, including specific investigation units which work at local, regional and national levels within the Department. These units, one of which works in conjunction with Revenue staff, carry out inspections of employers in relation to their PRSI obligations, investigate cases of concurrent working while claiming social welfare payments, review customers' means for assistance payments and monitor their ongoing entitlements to social welfare payments.
My Department's medical assessors medically examine recipients of illness payments to ensure they fulfil the medical conditions for the receipt of these payments.
As a result of control activities carried out by these staff, savings amounting to €269 million were achieved in 2001 and a further €211 million has been saved during the first nine months of 2002. In addition, my Department has introduced a new over payment recovery procedure. Prosecutions are considered in all serious cases of social welfare fraud.