Social welfare payments to 15 people in Athlone have been suspended and investigations carried out into over 100 cases, it emerged this week.
The Department of Social and Family Affairs outlined the preliminary results of fraud investigations in eight areas of the country, including Athlone, which have been ongoing since the beginning of March.
A total of 112 claimants in the Athlone Social Welfare Office were investigated, with 15 having their payments suspended.
Over 2,200 claimants were investigated across the country, either through house visits or mailshot. Of these, some 275 have had their claims suspended and are no longer entitled to claim a benefit from the State or are under continuing investigation.
The majority of the checks took place in the North East region (1,058 ), with investigations also carried out in Galway, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Maynooth, and the Thomas Street office in Dublin.
The potential savings from stopping these claims alone would be in the region of €2 million to €3 million.
The majority of the checks took place on non-Irish nationals claiming payments, who pose a high risk because of their mobility between countries. Only five of the 275 people whose payments were suspended were Irish.
The figures came to light this week as the Minister for Social and Family Affairs announced the introduction of stricter identity checks in post offices throughout the country for people collecting welfare payments. All social welfare claimants will now have to produce photographic ID in order to receive payment.
The tighter controls are part of a crackdown on those claiming a jobseeker payment but not resident in the State.
