If social welfare fraud is to be properly tackled tougher punishments, other than just paying back money owed needs to be introduced.
This is the view of Labour Galway West TD Derek Nolan who was speaking during a Dáil Public Accounts Committee debate this week.
Dep Nolan said he was “a staunch supporter of the social welfare system” and pointed out that “fraud is not widespread” and represents only 0.1 per cent of the Department of Social Protection budget.
However according to the secretary general of the department, Niamh O’Donoghue, overpayments amounted to €83.4 million in 2010 and that 31 per cent of this figure, or €25.9 million, was in relation to fraud by social welfare recipients.
“This is a substantial amount of money, but yet 97 per cent of those who have deliberately defrauded the system do not face any penalty or sanction when the department uncovers the fraud,” he said. “They merely must pay back the money they took. In addition, this person cannot be disqualified from receiving a social welfare payment.”
Dep Nolan said that those who seek to undermine that system “must pay a price”. As a result he is calling for a fixed penalty system to be designed and introduced at the earliest opportunity.
