Man jetted in from Thailand to claim €250k welfare

A 63-YEAR-OLD man found to have 10 Irish and one British birth certificate, eight false British drivers’ licences and three passports has appeared in court charged with defrauding the Department of Social Protection of almost €250,000 over a four-year period.

Paul Murray, of no fixed abode but with an address in Thailand, travelled home from the Asian country every three months to sign on. He has had no permanent address in Ireland since 1974.

He used nine different names to claim welfare payments in Cavan, Trim and Mullingar. Following his arrest as he left the social welfare office in Cavan on October 19, Murray was interviewed and charged.