Private investigator wants to save millions tackling welfare fraud
He has now offered his services to Social Protection Minister Joan Burton on a no-foal, no-fee basis, citing blatant examples of fraud he and his team have already uncovered.
According to Robert Nolan, who runs the Shadow Detectives agency in Dublin, welfare fraud in Ireland is blatant and widespread and costs the country up to €2 billion a year annually.
“About 40% of the national budget is spent on welfare so even a small percentage of that is big-time fraud. It is colossal,” he said yesterday.
Mr Nolan was critical of the current approach of the department to tackling fraud and claimed that its Special Investigations Unit was not proactive enough.
“I am not blaming individuals but the policy is not robust enough. The unit, mostly, does not generate its own leads. A lot of their cases would be generated by the Revenue. Stuff just lands on their desk and they end up processing paper work. There are not enough people out there in the field. They tend to deal a lot with identity fraud and that is very time-consuming.”
In light of the recent case of a man who lived in Thailand but who travelled back and forth to Ireland to collect benefits to the tune of €250,000, Mr Nolan gave a number of examples of fraud he had encountered recently.
“I came across one tradesman who had his company name emblazoned all over his van. He parked about three streets away from the welfare office and he went in and we presume he was collecting unemployment benefit.”
Speaking earlier on RTÉ Radio’s John Murray Show, Mr Nolan said he had seen people with full-time jobs claiming disability benefit, mothers claiming single parents allowance while living with a partner, and a hairdresser on the dole who worked daily.
He also cited the case of an artist who not only drew paintings but unemployment assistance.
“He was selling not only his own work, but other people’s work as well and you could go onto the website to purchase.”
He has sent a proposal to Ms Burton’s Department and is awaiting a response. “I would be prepared to do this on a no-foal, no-fee basis and be paid a percentage of the savings. That way it does not cost the taxpayer anything.
“I am not suggesting we create a Big Brother state, but this is a big problem and needs a big response. The political will needs to be there to solve it.”
A spokeswoman for the Department said yesterday that while they would consider any proposal to tackle fraud, it would have to be by way of the tendering process, while data protection legislation would also have to be adhered to.
However, Mr Nolan is convinced the private sector has a huge contribution to make. “What I can offer is impetus, exuberance, energy and a pressing need to get job done. I also have experience and the kind of skills that the civil service does not have.”
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