It is unclear how long they had been left in the field.

The Government will increase the fuel allowance by €2 a week and pump €13m into a warmer homes scheme in a bid to help hard-pressed families cope with the new carbon tax.

People living in different parts of the country could get different amounts of welfare and State pensions -as the Government looks at a shake-up of the current system.

A refusal to bring welfare payments in line with inflation would lead to higher rates of poverty and a rise in inequality, according to new research from the ESRI.

I write with somewhat shock and yet gratitude for the announcement this week by Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue, Donegal, who stated:

The Department of Employment of Affairs and Social Protection brought 177 alleged welfare fraud cases to court last year and considered another 200.

Live animals including dogs, horses, and rabbits, were used in research and testing procedures 242,302 times last year — up 7% since 2016.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has announced spending plans totalling €66.5bn for 2019.

There was an estimated €1.2m in overpayments of Jobseekers’ Allowance last year, as 1.6% of claims for those aged 18-25 were not paid at the appropriate, age-related personal rates.