€111.6m welfare fraud exposed

AN intensive review of social welfare pay-outs has uncovered a staggering €111.6 million in fraud in the first three months of this year alone.

New anti-fraud measures had been drawn up with a view to saving the taxpayer millions in lost revenue, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Coughlan said yesterday.

Total savings on fraudulent pay-outs were up by more than 16.8m on the previous quarter.