PPS fraud risk ‘greater than ever’

THE State spending watchdog yesterday warned the Exchequer was facing its greatest-ever fraud risk due to continuing failures in the Government’s personal public number system (PPS).

The PPS system, riddled with inaccuracies and bogus applicants, was estimated to cost the State anywhere between €25 and €50 million yearly when a review was carried out six years ago.

However, with the population rapidly increasing and the introduction of e-Government, Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell warned that exposure to fraud was a greater danger than ever.