The Government is about to use complex computer software to beat sophisticated welfare fraud, saving an additional €16m a year alone on bogus dole claims. The Department of Social Protection reviews over 1m welfare claims a year.

Suspected fraud accounted for almost €41m of overpayments which were recovered from some 20,720 welfare recipients by the Department of Social Protection in 2012.

With people being clobbered by draconian cutbacks and facing a raft of new taxes, it is heartening to hear the success of a Government campaign against social welfare fraud, effectively saving €669m last year and aiming at savings of €710m this year.

Those receiving illness and jobseekers’ welfare payments are to be targeted for fraud control measures after the Government outlined steps to save an extra €41m this year.